Finding a Way Home
by Trebles.and.Tones
Summary: Callie is 13 and trusts no one. She has to protect her baby brother, Jude, at all costs. But is it worth it for her to lose her own self in the process? Or can she learn to trust the two strange women whose house she'd been dumped in? She wasn't sure, but one thing was certain, Callie Jacob was still searching for a way home.
1. You are not disposable

**AN: I have quite a bit of this story already written. See my profile if you want to know why I am working on this and not Left or Found.**

 **Chapter One: You are not disposable.**

"You are not disposable, Callie. You are not worthless," Stef had said.

It continued to play through Callie's head, over and over as they drove home from the horrible night they had all had — her, Stef, Lena, Jesus and finally … finally her little brother Jude.

She wasn't disposable? Bullshit. She was thirteen, not stupid. Jude wasn't disposable because he had never done anything wrong. He was not disposable. He was seven. He was little. He still thought everyone in the world was good. He thought there was good in Jim Pearson, a man who had beat him senseless. The same man who had put Callie in juvie. The man who had broken two of Callie's ribs. The man who had bruised Jude on more than one occasion.

Jude always thought the best of people because he was good. He was pure. He was selfless. He always thought of others before himself. Callie had tried to protect him the best she could.

Callie was disposable. Jude wasn't. But that was the thing about foster care. They wanted to keep siblings together if possible, and since Callie was disposable, it made Jude disposable. It made him less worthy because of her. All because she was disposable.

"Callie?"

Jude was good and pure. Callie just … she just wasn't.

"Callie?"

A hand reached over and touched her shoulder lightly, but Callie jumped. She'd been so deep in thought, she'd not heard her name.

She looked up into the blue eyes of Stef Adams Foster from where she sat in the blondes vehicle. She realized everyone else, including Jude, had gotten out of the SUV. She was still buckled in, in the exact position Stef had buckled her in after Jim Pearson's house because she'd been almost catatonic. She was scared. She was still scared. But she would't show it, she vowed to no one but herself.

"Don't touch me! You have no idea who I am! Where is Jude?" Callie screamed at Stef, looking around frantically, her brown curls everywhere, so close to Lena's hair it was almost funny. But the situation wasn't funny. Not at all.

Lena was behind Stef, looking at her with a look Callie was unfamiliar with.

"Where is Jude?" Callie asked again, her motions still frantic. She couldn't get out of the car. Why was she stuck?

"I need you to calm down, Callie. Jude is in the house with Mariana and Jesus, playing with Frankie." Stef said, gently reaching over Callie to push the release button on the girl's seatbelt. Callie finally felt like she could breathe a little. But panic still rose up in her chest as she searched frantically for Jude.

Lena had sent the young boy in the house with Mariana when they got home because she had seen Callie starting to shut down and she didn't have to be told that Jude had never seen Callie of anything other than protective of him. It was much better for him to be in the house playing with five year old Frankie.

"You can keep him safe. Please. It's nice here. It is safe here. Before you send me back to juvie, promise me you will keep him. He is only seven. He hasn't ever hurt anyone. He won't even lie to you. Ever. He couldn't even lie to keep himself safe. " Callie asked. She wouldn't beg them … yet. If it came down to it, though, she would do whatever she had to to protect Jude. She always had. Who would willingly hurt a seven year old?

"Juvie? Sweets, we aren't sending you back there. We would never do that," Stef said, rubbing Callie's shoulder gently.

"I nearly got Jesus killed! Of course you are sending me back. I am not stupid. I have been here before. I know what is going to happen to me. I don't care what happens to me. I care what happens to Jude," Callie whispered.

Stef looked back and Lena, a glance that signaled help to the other woman. Lena came up to the side of the car and looked at the girl.

Callie was thirteen, but she looked much younger. Her left eye was bruised and her lip was split. There was a red mark on the right side of her face from Jim Pearson hitting her when she had run into his house earlier in the night to try and get Jude. Callie's long chestnut locks were stringy with dirt and sweat and frizzy around her head. Her too big shirt was drenched in sweat and her too little pants had a tear in them nearly up to her behind. Callie had fought a battle tonight she had nearly lost. One she didn't care if she lost as long as her little brother was safe.

Callie Jacob thought she was disposable because she had constantly been disposed of. Lena and Stef could both tell that much. Callie was thirteen and had been hurt more than either woman could ever imagine and they knew that. It was one reason they had been so thankful they had come into Jesus and Mariana's lives when they were so young. They had had some issues with nightmares from Mariana and behavior issues with Jesus, but it had not taken the mothers long to find out the reasons behind them were because of their biological mother and her meth addiction. They had been nearly five when they had entered into Lena and Stef's lives, adopted by the time they were six. They barely remembered their biological mother and being left alone for days at a time now. They didn't remember being hungry and starved for attention at all.

Lena and Stef could both tell Callie would not have that luxury. She would remember everything. She would remember everything for both her and for Jude.

"Callie, sweets, you are NOT disposable. You are NOT worthless. You are NOT being sent back to juvie because of one bad decision. You are not in control of Jesus. He is 16, he is more than twice your size, and he is headstrong. He makes his own decisions. If he hadn't wanted to go with you, he would not have gone. That was not you. Had he not wanted you to go, he would have stopped you. He would have brought you home whether you wanted to come or not," Stef said truthfully.

Callie shook her head. It had been her fault. It was always her fault.

"Callie, honey," Lena started, "we need to go in the house. We cannot have this conversation out here and it is getting darker. You can see Jude and we can talk about what happened tonight and where we can discuss where we go from here either tonight or tomorrow. But, Callie, I can honestly tell you right now … " Lena stopped talking and reached up slowly and then gently put her hand on Callie's chin and moved her face towards her and Stef, so that she would have to look them in the eyes.

Callie's eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"You, Callie, are NOT disposable. We WILL work through this. We WILL figure this out. We will NOT throw you away as if you were nothing more than a piece of trash. You are not disposable. You are not worthless. Not even for the sake of your little brother. You are worth just as much as he is. You are worth just as much as Jesus. Just as much as Mariana. Just as much as Frankie," Lena finished.

"Love, we need to go in the house. It is late. We have a lot to talk about. Can you climb out of the car, Sweets?" Stef said after Lena had gone quiet.

Callie's tears then spilled over, falling into Lena's hand, which was still holding Callie's chin. The tears pooled in Lena's hand as they fell, slowly at first and then faster, quickly filling Lena's palm.

"Callie, I know you don't trust us. I know bad things have happened to you. I know you have made bad choices. I know you may not want us around. I know you may not want to listen to us or live in a house with rules and consequences.

"But Callie, what you did tonight was beyond dangerous. If Stef and I do nothing else, we will teach you that you are not disposable. You are not worthless. We WILL teach you this. If it is the last thing we do, we will teach you that you are worth something." Lena said gently, the tears now literally overflowing out of her hand.


	2. Something worth fighting for

**AN: Short, but needed chapter.**

 **Chapter Two: Something worth fighting for.**

"I can't believe they would do something so stupid!" Stef said, pacing back and forth across their bedroom as Lena listened to and watched her, sitting on the bed.

"Honey, I know you are upset, but you have to calm down before we talk to them," Lena told her wife.

"Calm down? Lena, have you lost your mind? I cannot calm down! We nearly lost our son tonight! And what about Callie? What about Jude? I know they aren't ours, but that would not have made it any easier! They are innocent children, too! Jude is only seven years old, Lena!"

"Stef, we can't always save everyone." Lena said softly.

Stef turned around and stared at her wife fiercely, the glare in her eyes full of sadness and anger.

"No. We can't. I know that better than anyone. We can't save everyone. We learned that lesson the hard way, Lena. But we cannot accept not being able to save the children in this house. All of them! We have already lost one son. We lost one son, Lena! We will not lose Jesus or Mariana or Frankie. We will NOT lose Callie and Jude to a system that is against them! A system that does not have their best interests in mind! Did you see that child tonight? She was willing to give up everything to protect her baby brother. Everything! A thirteen year old child was willing to give up everything. Do you think we shouldn't try to protect her when she is so willing to give everything away?"

"I get it, Stef. I get it. I truly get it. But they are our foster children. They aren't ours …"

"Yet. They aren't ours yet, Lena!"

Stef looked towards her wife, a look of almost … almost fear was in her eyes.

"Stef, what are you saying?" Lena asked, her heart warming inside of her, but slightly afraid at the same time.

"We can't send those babies back into the system. We just can't. Callie has been here for nearly a month and we knew nothing about her brother. I know she doesn't trust us yet or she would have asked for help. That is why she didn't tell us about Jude. But they are babies. Thirteen and seven … they are BABIES, Lena. And I have this feeling … this feeling I cannot shake. Those children, Lena, those children … they are ours. I can just feel it, Lena." Stef said, tears forming in her eyes.

Lena took a deep breath. She had known Callie belonged with them. The first thing her social worker had told her was that Callie couldn't be in a home with men. They never worked out and the last one she'd been with had ended with her in juvie. He hadn't said anything more about it, but she'd known she wanted the child to stay with her.

Lena had known the minute she looked into the girl's sad eyes that she belonged to them. The minute she had walked up to her in the parking lot of Chula Vista with clothes that were too big and too small, worn out shoes, and dirty hair. She had known right then Callie belonged with them, no matter what baggage she came with.

"I know they are ours. I've known Callie would be ours since the first week. The first day. I could see it in your eyes. And Jude … he is seven. He belongs with his sister. With us. He is an innocent little boy," Lena told her partner.

"What are we going to do about tonight? I cannot lose another child, Lena. I can't. I cannot lose another child and it came close to that tonight. Callie came so close to losing her life today and she doesn't even think it matters! In what world do we live in that it's okay for a thirteen year old child to not think about herself? To not be utterly and completely selfish? Jesus was there! We could have lost him! I cannot LOSE another child, Lena!" Stef yelled, tears threatening to fall.

"Stef, they aren't Brandon. They are okay. We got to them in time. YOU got to them in time. This situation is not Brandon's situation. Mike was drunk when Brandon was with him. Mike killed our six year old child and himself. We will do everything in our power to teach our children what they did was wrong. We will do everything in our power to make them understand they are worth something. We will do everything in our power to make Callie and Jude part of this family," Lena said adamantly.

They would make this work. They knew it. This was something worth fighting for. Their family was worth fighting for.


	3. The art of being grounded

**Chapter Three: The art of being grounded**

"You're both grounded until further notice," Stef told the two children sitting in front of her and Lena the next night after Jude and Frankie were in bed, Mariana was in her room, and they had had time to process and think about everything that had happened in the past 24 hours.

They had talked to Callie and Jude's social worker and the children were staying with them; they had ordered Jude a bed and he would be moving into the room Callie had been staying in and Callie would be moving into Mariana's room. Callie had stayed in the room with Jude the previous night, as it had been four months since the two had seen one another, but they wanted it to be a short time thing, as a thirteen year old girl didn't need to share a room with her seven year old brother.

The bed was arriving the next day and they were going to move Callie's bed into what would be her and Mariana's room in the morning. Mariana had a full size bed, as did Callie and Jesus. Frankie had a canopy bed in her room, doused in every color pink imaginable, with enough glitter to support a drunk unicorn. Jude was getting a bed he had picked out with the help of Lena — a blue loft bed with room under for him to play. He had wanted sheets with dragons and fairies on them and a comforter that was a light blue with gold glittered stars. Callie had told him no, but Lena had shushed her quickly and quietly so as to ensure Jude got something he truly wanted. It was something Stef and Lena had talked about and wanted to do for Jude.

The mothers had also talked about the room arrangements for quite some time before deciding the boys would have their own rooms. They had thought about putting Jude in with Jesus, but the age gap was too much. Jude was only seven, while Jesus was sixteen. There was less than three years between Callie and Mariana. They had explained their reasoning to the children, but Callie had begged the two to let her stay with Jude so she wouldn't bother Mariana. Callie had even offered to stay in Frankie's room with her, but again, there was such a large age gap, the mothers felt it was important for Frankie and Jude to have their own rooms so they didn't have to grow up too soon. Callie was only thirteen, but she'd been through more life experiences than most children her age, so putting her in with Mariana just made the most sense.

Mariana, who up to that point had looked slightly angry, had softened her expression and looked at Callie when she'd offered to sleep in Jude's room with him. She'd not have offered that at thirteen, that was for sure.

"Callie, I'd love to share my room with you. I have the biggest room after Mom and Mama, and there would be plenty of room for us to each have half of it. It will be nice to share a room with a girl who I can talk to."

Callie had looked shocked, and had nodded her head, accepting Mariana's offer. Mariana was three years older than she was, so she knew Mariana probably wasn't as happy as she was acting, but that was okay. She just needed a bed to sleep in at night. She could stay in Jude's room the rest of the time. She knew the rules of foster care though. Boys and girls, even brothers and sisters, could not share a room past a certain age. And when you were in foster care, real kids never wanted to share their rooms. Ever.

Back to the current situation, however, Stef and Lena both realized neither child in front of them had said anything about being grounded yet.

Jesus looked put out, as the moms had known he would. But they also knew he had expected nothing less, possibly even more than a mere grounding. He'd gone with the expectation of being in trouble, but, as he had told Lena earlier in the day, he couldn't let Callie go alone. Not when she was so tiny and young.

Callie, on the other hand, looked absolutely clueless.

"What does that even mean," she finally asked.

Lena and Stef looked at each other and then back at Callie, whose entire face was one of confusion. They'd not been certain she'd been serious, but the look on her face now told them she was.

"Callie, honey, being grounded means you're on restriction. You can't watch television, you cannot go anywhere without Stef or me with you, you will have an early bedtime, you lose all electronics unless you need them for homework, at which point you will do your homework with me in the kitchen, etc." Lena recited off.

Callie knitted her brow together and leaned forward, eyeing them both carefully.

"You already make me go to bed at 9:30 like … every night," Callie said, still obviously confused, and even more obviously thinking 9:30 was an early bedtime. Did Callie think that was a punishment? Is that why she had seemed so … irritated … when they sent her to bed each night? She went earlier than Jesus and Mariana, but they were older. Frankie went to bed at 7:30, with lights out at 8:00. It was going to be the same with Jude since he was so young.

The moms decided to ignore that at the moment. They had worked the entire month Callie had been with them on getting her on a schedule. It was still a struggle, but they were getting there. It had surprised them both when Jude had told Callie he was ready for bed at 7:30 when they had sent Frankie to bed. They both just assumed Callie had trained him to get enough sleep, but not herself. She was protective of Jude, watching his every move. But the four months apart had been hard on the little boy. He was thin and gaunt. He looked like he neither slept nor had enough to eat in a long time.

"You will go at 8:30 for now." Lena told her gently.

"So that is it? I go to bed early? I don't go anywhere. I don't have electronics. I don't have a phone. I don't watch television …"

"For now, you will stick with us. No going anywhere after school, etc. Okay? No going anywhere alone." Stef said, getting that they had a long way to go with Callie in so many ways. Honestly, they needed to get her things in general. She needed a phone so they could get in touch with her or her with them; she needed things she could enjoy during her leisure time; and she needed things she might just want. They had not expected her to be a long term placement when she had first come to them, and most foster children were not allowed to take much to their next placement and there was no point. But Callie was here to stay as far as Lena and Stef were concerned, so they really did need to get her some things. At least with Jude, they still had a lot of the Jesus' toys in the garage. The things Callie needed were not something they had much of. She was too thin to wear any of Mariana's clothes because she was underweight. They didn't wear the same size shoes and Callie didn't much care for the way Mariana dressed anyways, though she had not told anyone that — Stef and Lena could tell.

Callie nodded in response to the grounding explanation, though the confusion was still clear on her face.

"Okay guys, go get ready for bed." Lena told them both. Jesus was up and out of the room immediately.

"Jesus. Do not forget to give me your phone before you go to bed." Stef said after the boy. He stopped at the stairs and turned, nodding so his mom would know he'd heard her.

Callie got up, and headed towards the stairs herself. But, before she made it to the steps leading to her bed, she slowly turned around and looked at Stef and Lena.

"When I'm not grounded anymore, will I get to eat meals here again? And, can Jude please eat supper? I am the one who messed up, not him. He told me Jim Pearson didn't give him much to eat after I left because of what I did to his car. So can he still eat," Callie asked, her hands wringing together, worry evident in her face, especially around her eyes.

Stef and Lena stared at her, silent, for several moments.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Lena asked her, a tremble in her voice only Stef could hear and recognize. It was Lena hoping what she feared was not true. Hoping that Callie was not saying, in her own way, she'd not been fed when she was in trouble.

Callie looked at them both, her eyes squinting in their direction.

"Once I am done being grounded — in trouble — will I get to eat meals here then? Or will I still only get to eat at school? And will you let Jude eat? You know, since he didn't do anything."

"Why would you or Jude not get to eat supper, Callie?" Stef asked.

"Why would I? If I am in trouble, the only place I get to eat, if I am lucky, is at school. I told you my first night here, Stef, this isn't my first time in a foster home. So yea, I am used to not getting to eat when I am trouble. Hell, I am used to not getting to eat when I haven't done anything. I just wish I hadn't gotten so used to eating over the last month …" Callie went on, the two women realizing immediately the child was ranting and probably had no idea what she was saying in her fear and frustrations of the unknown. Because of her fear they would not feed Jude because she'd gone after him, trying to save him from a home she'd been banished from.

Stef and Lena both stood up and walked over to Callie, Lena reaching her first, placing her hands on Callie's shoulders.

"Callie, you will always have enough to eat here. Always. That is never something you have to worry about. You could do the most horrible thing imaginable, and you will always be fed. Do you understand that, Callie Quinn? You will ALWAYS have something to eat in this house. You will never go to bed hungry. I do not care if you are in class and you are hungry … you come tell me and I will make sure you have something to eat right then. If it is in the middle of the night, you wake me, and I will make you something to eat. Callie, you will never do anything to make us not feed you. Ever."

"Do you understand, Love," Stef asked from beside Lena, worry and concern filling her face from the very idea Callie might not tell them when she was hungry because she feared their reactions.

Callie nodded, though both women could tell there was uncertainty in her eyes and they also knew they needed to diffuse the situation now, before Callie became upset right before bed.

"Love, it's," Stef started, then looked down at her watch, "8:05. You have just enough time to go snag a shower in our bathroom before you need to get into bed. Make sure you wash your hair. You haven't for several days and it needs it. Lena and I will be up soon to tuck you in, okay? And if you need help with anything else, all you have to do is let us know."

Callie nodded and turned quickly, running towards the stairs.

Lena turned around and looked at Stef, trying not to cry at the amount of absolutely disturbing information they had learned in the last two days.


	4. Jude's Mother(s)

Chapter Four: Jude's Mother(s)

As the weeks passed, the household began to settle into a routine. There had been a few ups and downs — Jude had been hiding food in his bedroom in the toy chest attached to his new loft bed, leading to an infestation of ants, though it had told both Stef and Lena Callie had not been wrong to fear they would not feed either of them since Callie was in trouble.

Callie wasn't doing well in her math class, leading to more than one melt down with the child, especially when it came to studying for math tests and doing homework at the table — but the family was managing everything in stride.

Jesus and Callie were finally over being grounded, though that, too, had taken a lot of patience with the two mothers. Jesus, never one to sit still for long, had been in a little trouble here and there, but nothing to extend his grounding.

The biggest problem they had had, however, was Callie trying to parent Jude constantly. From when he did his homework to when and what he ate, Callie tried to tell him what to do. Stef and Lena were working on putting an end to it, but it had taken a lot of patience from both women. Callie was having a very hard time understanding that she didn't need to fear them and neither did Jude.

"Put it back, Jude. You know you can't have that," Callie hissed in Jude's ear as they walked behind Lena in Target. Jude held a stuffed hippo in his arms. He had seen it when Frankie had been looking at the toys and had asked Lena if she could have a bright pink panda bear with purple eyes. Lena had told both of the children to pick out a stuffed animal. She and Stef had been slowly getting Callie and Jude more things, though it was easier to get things for Jude since he was the easier of the two children. They had yet to supplement Callie's wardrobe with anything other than a few pair of jeans and some hand me downs shirts from their closest, as Callie refused to wear anything of Mariana's. The clothes from their closet swallowed her, but they had to do what they had to do at the moment.

Jude had been easier because he didn't care what he wore. Stef had gone into the attic and found Jesus's clothes from when he had been little. They'd simply never gotten rid of them, and they were thankful for that now. Jude was wearing clothes Jesus had worn when they first got him. Though they knew he was small for his age — Callie was, too — They'd been shocked to realized he was wearing clothes from when Jesus had been five years old. Both had been taken to the pediatrician by Lena, who was told both children needed to gain weight — Callie needed to gain at least 35 pounds to be considered healthy in her 4-foot, 9-inch frame, Jude at least 15 to his 3-foot 6-inches. For the most part, they were healthy though and had had their vaccinations needed for their ages.

They planned to take the two shopping for more clothes. Clothes never worn by anyone else, but Callie was reluctant to let them other than the few pairs of jeans and only those because Lena had come home with them one day and refused to take them back, so they had not yet pushed her. Her clothes were okay, to a point. Though nothing looked new or fit correctly except the jeans.

"No, Callie. Lena said I could pick one out," Jude told his older sister, also in hushed tones.

"What's the point, Jude? You won't get to keep it when we leave. Why grow attached to something you can't keep? It's not a smart idea. You know that," Callie hissed back at him as quietly as she could.

Lena, however, could hear Callie talking to Jude, and she sighed lightly. She knew that it was hard for Callie to let go, but she and Stef had sat her down more than once to let know she was not the parent. It was not in her right to dictate Jude's life the way she thought she could.

It wasn't Callie's fault. They also knew that. It was circumstance that had caused Callie to be Jude's parent, but she wasn't anymore. She didn't need to be. And it was a habit they were working on breaking her of. No thirteen year old child should have had the responsibility placed on them the way Callie had.

"Callie, sweetheart, come walk beside me," Lena said as she scanned the aisles. Callie knew it wasn't a suggestion and assumed she hadn't been as quiet telling Jude he couldn't have the stuffed animal as she had thought.

"Come on, Jude, walk with me!" Frankie said from in front of the cart. The two children then walked a bit ahead of Callie and Lena, causing Callie to sigh, irritated but trying not to show it.

"Callie, we've talked about this," Lena said gently, lifting her left hand to rub Callie's back.

"Its not worth the hurt later, Lena," Callie said with a glare.

"Callie, we told you that you and Jude don't need to worry about leaving anytime soon," Lena told her gently.

"Yea, I've heard that before. I know how this works, Lena," Callie said, her tone littered with attitude and becoming louder.

"Callie, that is enough," Lena stopped and looked at her foster child, "Jude is seven. He deserves things just because. You deserve things just because. You won't always get everything you want in our house, but you will have what you need. You will have food, clothes, shelter … you will have love, Sweetheart."

"He doesn't need things," Callie said again, though much quieter this time. The truth was it hurt that she'd never been able to give him things he wanted. Let alone things she'd wanted.

Lena stopped pushing the cart and turned to look at Callie. She reached up and cupped Callie's cheek with her right hand and looked into her dark brown eyes — eyes that matched her own, she suddenly realized.

"He's a little boy, Callie. He does need things. He needs things he wants. He needs things he doesn't know he needs. Just like you need things you don't know you need. And that is okay, Callie. You're a child. You are a baby. You are not a mother."

"I've been all he has had since he was a baby," Callie said angrily, stopping to stomp her foot slightly, telling Lena so much about how young the child was, and honestly, a bit about how safe Callie was beginning to feel with her.

"And for that, I am sorry. I would give anything to go back in time and find you and Jude before you stepped over the threshold of that first foster family. I wish I could scoop you up when you were eight years old and bring you here. More than you will ever know. But we can't. So we have to make the best of it now," Lena said.

Callie narrowed her eyes, "Until you send us away like everyone else always does."

Callie then darted ahead of Lena, leaving the mother alone with her cart and her thoughts.

* * *

Callie continued to try and parent Jude, and it was wearing on both Stef and Lean, although they were trying to give the girl time to adjust to her brother living with them now. They did understand, but Jude was starting to become confused. He didn't know who he needed to listen to anymore, trying to make everyone happy. It was starting to wear on him, causing him to become withdrawn and quick to cry. He wasn't sleeping as well, and he was hiding more. He had been in their home for nearly a month now, and Callie tried more and more to take over as Jude's parent.

"No, Jude. The answer is four, not seven," Callie said, pointing out a mistake for what she felt was about the hundredth time while they were in the living room by themselves.

Jude erased the pencil marks on his paper and sighed. He was trying hard not to cry, but it was very hard. He wished he had waited on Lena to help him. She was better at it than Callie and she didn't constantly only tell him what he did wrong like Callie did. Besides, Callie wasn't even that great at math.

"Jude! You just did one exactly like that! The answer isn't one. It's three. You know this stuff!"

Jude stood up at that moment and threw his pencil down and stomped away. He was over math today.

"Jude, come back here right now! You have to finish your homework," Callie yelled at him as he walked up the stairs toward his room.

He turned around quickly and faced Callie.

"No Callie! You're being stupid! If you think you know so much, then you do it! But I am not doing my homework anymore with you because you're not helping me," the seven year old screamed at his sister.

Callie stood up and looked at him. Jude had never made her feel so angry before. Why was he refusing to let her help him? She'd always been the one to help him.

"Jude, stop acting like a baby," Callie yelled.

By this time, Lena and Stef were both in the living room to see the two children staring at each other in a way they had not seen before. They had not once seen the two act like actual siblings.

"Hey, hey! What is going on in here," Stef said, stepping in front of the two children.

"She won't stop bossing me around! Lena said she wasn't my boss anymore! She said I was safe here and I believed her, but Callie keeps bossing me around just like always," Jude yelled, tears finally falling down his cheeks. Tears he had been trying to keep at bay since he had gotten home and started working on his homework with Callie.

"Jude, I always help you! They aren't going to be here forever! They aren't like us! They will send us away eventually just like everyone else!"

"Shut up, Callie! You don't know! We have food here and beds! You don't know anything," Jude screamed back.

"Shut up, Jude! SHUT UP! You don't know anything! You're only seven! I am the only person you have! You better damn well get used to it, Jude Jacob," Callie said.

At this point, Stef stepped in front of Callie, her back to Jude so Lena could get to him and she could get Callie calmed down.

"Callie …"

"Shut up and get out of my way, Stef," Callie said, trying to get around Stef to Jude so she could explain things to him.

"No ma'am! No. You come with me," Stef said, grabbing Callie's upper arm gently and pulling her towards the kitchen.

"Stef, stop it! Right now! I have to take care of Jude!"

Stef ignored her while gently guiding her towards the kitchen. Stef knew there was no talking to Callie at the moment. She was too distraught, too upset. She also knew she couldn't rough handle the skittish child either. She couldn't overpower her like she was a criminal. She wasn't a criminal. She was a child.

So, Stef did the only thing she could think of when needing to get one of her children to calm down: She pulled out a chair, turned it towards an empty corner, and gently pushed Callie into the seat.

"What is this," Callie asked, looking up towards Stef, standing up.

"Time out. No talking. Take this time to work on your breathing and your temper," Stef told her gently.

"But …"

"No ma'am. Sit and breathe and calm down."

Callie stood up, confusion on her face, "But …"

"Callie. No. Sit down. I won't tell you again or we will go and I will sit on my bed and watch you stand in a corner there. And I promise it will take much longer for me to let you out of time out if we move up there."

Callie sighed and threw herself back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout. Stef could make her sit, but she could not make her calm down or think about what she'd done. She'd done nothing wrong. Nothing at all.

* * *

Lena sat in the rocking chair in the living room with Jude in her lap. She rocked him back and forth, humming calming little notes as she held him tight.

"You know, Bubba, you don't always have to listen to Callie. Not anymore. She's your big sister, but she's not the boss. Not here. Callie has to learn that just like you do. Stef and I are the bosses here. Callie is little, just like you are."

"Callie isn't little," Jude sniffed into Lena's shirt, rubbing his nose into her shoulder, tears and snot smearing on her shirt. She didn't notice. If anything, she held him closer, putting her chin on top of his head of chestnut brown curls.

"Sweetheart, I know Callie is big to you. She is a grown up to you. But, Jude, Callie is not a grown up. She is still little. She is only thirteen. Do you think that Mariana and Jesus are grown up?" Lena asked him.

She felt him shrug and then heard his soft reply, "I think you are the boss of them. But they think they are the boss, but they aren't."

Lena had to stifle her laugh quickly, so she pressed her lips to his head and gave him a kiss.

"You are a very smart little boy. But, just like Jesus and Mariana sometimes think they are the boss, so does Callie. But in this house, Stef and I are in charge. Sometimes you and Frankie might have to listen to Callie or Mariana or Jesus if Stef and I are both out, but that means it is their responsibility to keep you safe while we are gone."

"Like a babysitter?"

"Exactly like a babysitter, Sweetheart, exactly."

"Can you help me with my homework from now on and not Callie? It takes so long when she helps and she yells at me."

Lena held him tighter and continued to rock him back and forth.

"Yes, Bubba. You and I will work on your homework together from now on," Lena said, kissing the top of his head and she rocked him back and forth.

* * *

"Are you calm enough to talk with me now, Love?" Stef asked Callie. It has been half an hour. Stef had asked her fifteen minutes earlier, but Callie had told her to go to hell and leave her alone.

Stef had just added that to the list of things they would talk about.

"Leave. Me. ALONE," Callie screamed at her. Callie was trying to hide the fact she was crying, but Stef had four other children in the house besides Callie. And, if she was being truthful, Mariana was a drama queen and could put Callie to shame in the trying to hide tears department.

"Okay, Love. You keep sitting there. I've got all the time in the world for you," Stef said softly, letting the child know she'd make time for her always.

Callie wasn't sure what to make of what was going on right now. She wasn't sure what Stef and Lena had up their sleeves. She'd been sitting in this chair, staring at the wall, for what felt like forever.

Fifteen minutes later, Stef asked her again. And, again, Callie had screamed at her to leave her alone.

Where had she gone wrong? Foster parents didn't usually care what she and Jude did. It was why she was in charge of him. She was the one person who had made sure Jude was safe. Or, rather, as safe as he could be with people who didn't give a crap about them.

The minutes ticked by and Lena came in and started supper. Callie still refused to talk to Stef, so staring at the wall she stayed.

Lena soon finished supper, calling all of the kids down to eat — and still, Callie refused to talk to Stef. Stef, never one to give into a bluff, made Callie a plate and took it over to her.

"Hold your plate," Stef told her, handing her the plate of food and then turning towards the wall to her right where there was a high table she could drag over to Callie so the teen could eat off of it.

Callie stared at Stef, frustration practically pouring from her furrowed brow. She was so over this, but she was also much too stubborn and proud to admit defeat.

And a tiny part of her was just thankful she was getting to eat despite everything that had happened all day.

* * *

"She is the most stubborn child I have ever met," Stef whispered to Lena as she dried the dishes and put them away.

Lena stifled a laugh and looked at Callie, who was still sitting in the chair, facing the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

"She is stubborn. She reminds me of you," Lena said quietly, smiling and staring out the window above the sink into their backyard as she washed another dish.

Stef rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I am not nearly as stubborn as that child over there."

Their conversation was interrupted by Callie at that moment, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay, Love. Go to the bathroom and then back to your chair unless you want to talk to me," Stef said. The couple watched Callie stomp off to the bathroom while they tried not to laugh. They were disappointed with Callie's actions and her behavior, but watching her stomp her feet was quite funny.

"It's nearly seven. When are you going to let her up if she doesn't give in," Lena asked, though she had no doubt she knew the answer.

"She will give up or sleep in that chair while I watch her. She has to learn we are in charge, she isn't."

"Stefanie Marie Adams Foster. You are not making that child sleep in that chair."

Stef sighed, "You take the fun out of everything, Love."

Callie came back in the room from the bathroom and looked at the chair and then to Stef and Lena.

"How much longer do I have to sit there," she asked them, staring at the chair in disdain. She wanted to be anywhere else at the moment.

"Are you ready to talk about what happened earlier," Stef asked her.

Callie grimaced. No she didn't want to talk to Stef!

"I take that as a no?"

Callie sighed.

"Do I have to?"

Stef looked at her and smiled a little, "Yes, Love, you have to. What happened earlier, first with Jude and then with me, was not okay."

"I'm all Jude has," Callie said, her voice etched with — almost fear.

Stef walked over to Callie and put her hand under her chin, lifting it so Callie was forced to look her in the eye.

"You are not all Jude has. Not anymore, Callie."

"Until you send us away, Stef! You told me yourself, the first night I was here and then again when I found Jude — You told me that this was my last weigh station. That means we will go somewhere else, and guess what? You don't get to decide if we stay at that house. You don't get to decide whether they like us or not. Jude and I have been here before. Jude doesn't get it. Jude sees the good in literally everyone. I don't. People aren't good. They aren't. The system definitely isn't good. They will tell you and Lena exactly what you want to hear. And then we will be shipped off somewhere just like Jim Pearson's home. You have no idea what it was like for us in that house"

Stef studied Callie's face. Her face was so, so very young. But in the depth of Callie's chocolate brown eyes, she was ancient. She hated knowing Callie had lived through so much at thirteen. She knew so much more than she should about a system that was broken.

"Callie, love, I promise you this … I will do what I have to to keep you out of the system. Both you and Jude deserve to know what it is like to live without fear."

Callie looked at Stef with confusion, "Stef, we do know what it's like to live without fear. Well, I mean Jude usually does live without fear. He still sees the good in everything," Callie exaggerated the last word and rolled her eyes a little, "He was only a bit scared at Jim Pearson's. The last night I was there. Jude told me Jim Pearson didn't touch him once I was gone. And you know, then I was in juvie for a few months and then I came here. There is no fear here. Except the unknown. Not knowing where I am going to end up next. Not knowing if I am going to know if I am going to live in constant fear again. But, don't worry. I made sure Jude didn't have to live in fear much," Callie said, her eyes glazing over, her thoughts far away in a distant memory Stef knew she would not share.

Stef leaned over and touched Callie's knee, though it startled Callie and caused her to jump.

"Sorry, love. But, I need you to listen to what I have to say. You are JUST as important as Jude. You should not live in fear anymore than he should. You are a child. Children should live without fear and with love. You can't do that if you are always trying to parent Jude. Jude needs a sister, not another mother figure. Okay? So you need to let me or Lena parent him and you. You need to let us do the things that mothers do. It may take some time, but you have to let go a little. You have to learn to be a kid, love, so you can live with a little less fear than you do."

Callie looked at her, a tear sliding down her face. She had never cried as much as she had in this house. It was annoying.

But, Callie nodded her head. She could definitely try.

Stef smiled and leaned forward once again, wiping a tear away from Callie's cheek and then kissing her forehead.

"Good deal, love. How about you go and take a shower or bath and start getting ready for bed. You let Lena or me know if you need anything."

Callie smiled and nodded, then headed up the stairs.


	5. Homework and dinner

**Chapter Five: Homework and dinner.**

That Friday night the house was back to its normal, bustling schedule. Sharon, Stef's mom, had come over the night before for supper, and now Jude, enamored with the eccentric woman, was begging to go to her house almost constantly, much to Callie's disapproval and frustration.

Jesus and Mariana were both at a friend's house, Frankie and Jude were playing in the living room, and Callie was working on her homework so she didn't have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend, per Lena's request. Though, Callie saw it more as a demand.

She had asked why Mariana and Jesus hadn't had to do their homework yet, and Lena had promised her they would be doing theirs the next day and wouldn't have an entire day free like she would. That had pleased Callie immensely. Usually it took her several hours longer to do her homework than it did Mariana and Jesus — Jude and Frankie not counting because they barely had to do anything at home.

It was especially hard for her since Mariana finished her work so quickly. Especially Mariana, since they shared a room and it was hard for Callie to finish her own when Mariana was getting to do whatever she wanted — including being the loudest person on the face of the planet.

Callie only had her math homework left to do, which was also her most difficult subject. As she listened to Stef and Lena cook supper — mostly Lena, as Stef as sitting at the kitchen island cutting up tomatoes and cucumbers — she wrote down random numbers so she could be finished for the weekend. But not too quickly because then they'd know she'd not done it correctly and make her redo it.

"What are we having for dinner, Mama? I'm hungry," Frankie said, coming into the kitchen with Jude close behind her.

Lena looked up and smiled at the two children, "We are having spaghetti, garlic bread, and some fresh vegetables. One of your favorites."

Frankie smiled and Jude looked excited. Callie grimaced. She wished Jude didn't look so excited each time he got to eat. She had tried so hard to keep him fed. But Stef and Lena didn't have any problems keeping all of them fed. They got three meals every day and could have a snack whenever they wanted as long as they didn't ruin their supper. Lena always had healthy snacks made up in the fridge. They did it all for five kids now. Every day. Stef had, on more than one occasion, fixed Jude and Frankie a snack before they went to bed. It was little things the mothers both did every day that made Callie feel — confused.

Callie closed her book and shoved it in her backpack, letting it slide to the floor under the table. She'd take it to her room later. Right now she was hungry and the spaghetti smelled amazing. So, she went to the kitchen island and sat down, getting ready to grab a piece of tomato from the cutting board in front of Stef.

"No ma'am," Stef said sternly. Callie looked at her and grimaced. Was she really not going to be allowed to eat? She'd finished her homework and everything, just like Lena had told her!

"Look at your hands, Love," Stef said, noting the confusion in Callie's face, which was quickly turning to anger over being told she couldn't grab the tomato from the bowl they were sitting in. It was especially hurtful after being told, on more than one occasion, that she would never go hungry here.

Callie looked down at her hands and she realized they were filthy. It was easy to see she'd been writing with a pencil, the lead covering her hands, especially the sides where her hand had laid against the paper, smearing the lead across the paper. There was some dirt under her nails, too. She sighed and walked to the sink, quickly running her hands under the water.

"Soap, Love," Lena said as she was putting the spaghetti on the table.

Callie turned and looked at Stef and Lena, both watching her intently. She sighed and pushed down on the soap dispenser, foamy soap coming out onto her hand.

She scrubbed both her hands, doing her best to get the dirt out from underneath her fingernails, but to no avail. She'd never get to eat at this rate.

Stef, noticing her frustration and the intensity in her hand scrubbing, said, "Rinse them and come sit down, Love, so we can eat. I know you're probably starving."

Callie hurried and did as she was told, not bothering to dry her hands as she sat at the table and looked at the food before her.

Spaghetti was one of her favorite meals, too. And she loved garlic bread and tomatoes and cucumbers.

"Can I have some ranch dressing," Callie asked, quietly, staring down at her lap.

Lena smiled, "You sure can, let me get it out. Anything else you guys need?"

Everyone shook their heads. While Lena got up to go to the fridge, Stef dished out food on each plate, making sure Callie's bread touched nothing else; that Frankie had more noddles than sauce; and that Jude's had extra sauce and cheese.

The children had not been with them long, but Stef and Lena made sure to pay attention to their likes and dislikes.

Callie grabbed an extra plate from the side of the table and piled tomatoes and cucumbers on it, salted and peppered them, and then poured ranch dressing over them. Lena and Stef looked on with interest. They'd not had just tomatoes and cucumbers, and Callie always steered away from the salads they usually had with their meals. In fact, most of the time she hid things she didn't like in a napkin under the table — one of those things being salad.

Stef and Lena had talked about it at length, whether to bring up Callie's hiding food she didn't like, but they chose not to. It had taken her more than a month to get to the point of hiding the food she didn't like instead of eating, making herself sick in the process. They were too worried they'd make her revert back to forcing herself to eat, that they wanted to give her more time hiding it, to see if she would tell them she didn't like it.

"Love, save some ranch for later in case you want more," Stef laughed, gently taking the bottle from Callie's hand and putting it by the raw vegetables.

Callie looked at Stef with a shy smile, one they'd rarely seen in her time with them.

"Okay, loves, let's eat," Lena said, feeling a burst of happiness she'd not felt in a long time.

* * *

The next morning, Callie woke up at seven. It was not unusual for her. She was used to waking up early because in many houses that was the only way she was able to make sure Jude was able to eat. Now it was habit. She knew the only one who would probably be awake was Lena. Saturday mornings had become a trend with the duo. They'd both sit on the back porch, not really talking, just sitting in comfortable silence, usually until about eight, when Stef, Frankie, and Jude would come downstairs in search of breakfast and early morning cartoons.

This particular Saturday morning, Callie wanted to read her most recent book, "The Giver," while sitting with Lena. She looked beside her bed for her backpack, trying to be quiet so she didn't wake up Mariana, though Mariana had woke her up the night before when she came home. Her bag wasn't there.


	6. A lost backpack

Callie looked at the end of the bed, and her backpack wasn't there either. Then she remembered. It was in the dining room, under the table.

She also had a sudden thought — each Friday night, either Stef or Lena went through her bag to see what she'd done through the week. Lena and Stef made sure all of their homework was always done and asked about papers or work sent home for them to look over for her, Mariana, and Jesus, but it was their responsibility to tell them during the week. They checked Jude and Frankie's bags every day. They no longer checked the twins' bags at all. But every Friday, like clockwork, one of them, usually Lena, checked her bag.

She felt her chest tighten. She always made sure to take out everything in her backpack she didn't want them to see and shove it in her locker. This time, she'd forgotten.

Maybe, with some luck, they forgot.

Not thinking about anything else, Callie ran down the stairs and straight into the dining room in search of her bag.

She knew what would happen if they found things they didn't like. Callie had been in way too many homes NOT to know.

Callie was practically starting to hyperventilate when she looked on the floor where she had been sitting the previous night and her bag was not where she last remembered it being.

She got on her hands and knees and started crawling under the table and continued to look.

It wasn't here. If it wasn't here, where could it be?

Tears started cloudy her vision, her breath began to hitch. She couldn't catch her breath, no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't get kicked out of another home. She just couldn't. Not when Jude loved it here so much.

She went toward the front door, looking at the hooks there, where Frankie and Jude's backpacks hung. Her's wasn't there either.

She didn't know where else to look. Her shoulders heaved as her breath caught in her chest. Tears threatened to fall, but she knew from experience they would just make it worse.

Her entire body was shaking.

"Callie, love, what is wrong," Lena asked, coming in from the back yard where she had been waiting on Callie.

Lena had heard Callie in house, and had waited several minutes for her to come outside. She'd planned on talking to her this morning about a few things and wanted to do it before the others got up.

All of that went out the window when she walked inside the house to see Callie in the midst of a panic attack.

Lena was grateful the girl let her lead her into the living room. Lena sat down and then turned Callie around, pulling her onto her lap, her back against Lena's chest. She wrapped her arms around Callie, loosely so as not to scare her, and then put her chin on top of Callie's head.

"Feel me breath, Love. In and out. In and out. Try to calm down and breath with me. It will make you feel so much better," Lena whispered softly, evenly, to the child. She'd not seen Callie like this since they'd brought her, Jude, and Jesus home nearly a month prior. Before that, Callie had rarely shown any emotion at all. She'd lived through the motions of their home, neither misbehaving nor trying to include herself in their day to day lives.

Once they had found out about Jude, though, it had all made sense. She'd been planning to get him for a while. She hadn't expected to be allowed to stay after she got her brother, but had been hoping they would keep Jude when they sent her away.

Callie's breathing was still fast, and Lena could tell she was having trouble regulating her breathing herself. Lena, with her left arm wrapped across Callie's waist, brought her right hand up and wrapped it over her shoulders, not restraining her, but letting her feel the breathes she was taking.

"Love, can you take a deep breath and then breath with me," Lena asked. Callie nodded and tried, but it was several more minutes before she could get her breathing under control and could relax.

After she did, the two just sat there. Part of Callie was just worn out. In the past she'd barely even let Stef or Lena touch her, let alone sit in their laps. If nothing else, though, it did tell her one thing — Callie really was beyond underweight. They knew she was tiny for her age, not even near five feet tall, but she needed to gain some weight on her small frame.

"I can't find my backpack," Callie whispered hoarsely.

Lena sighed, "Oh, sweetie."

She leaned down and kissed Callie's hair, noticing how badly it needed combed out.

"I have your backpack. I wanted to talk to you about some things I found inside of it last night when I was checking through it."

She immediately felt Callie stiffen in her arms and stifle a sob.

"But, you already suspected that, didn't you, Love Bug," Lena asked.

Callie could only nod. Yes, she did suspect it.

"Can you turn around and look at me, so we can talk about it?"

Callie, who hadn't been held by anyone in many years, didn't want to get off Lena's lap, or out of her arms. She felt safe. But she knew once Lena started talking about the contents of her bag, it would be like every other foster home.

Callie started to get up, but Lena just held her there, and helped Callie turn so her back would be against the arm of the couch, her legs over Lena's lap.

"You're not doing so hot in math, are you, Love," Lena asked, but had already known the answer. She had been notified by Callie's teacher the day before and they had a conference set for the next week. Lena had been angry when she had told Stef — angry at a member of her staff not notifying her or any parent about their children falling behind. It had made sense when they'd found Callie's backpack the night before. The math teacher thought they did know.

Lena was answered with another stifled sob. She and Stef had talked at length about how to handle the situation before her. Stef, ever the disciplinarian and cop, wanted to confront Callie the moment she'd seen the signed math test in the girl's bag … a test that had supposedly been signed by herself. Lena had told her they couldn't do that. Not to Callie. The teen wasn't ready for that.

Upon further inspection, Stef and Lena had found several more assignments from math with grades lower than a D. Several had been "signed" by Stef.

Callie shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me or Stef you were having so much trouble in math," Lena asked her. They'd known it wasn't easy for her, but they'd honestly had no idea it was as big a struggle as it actually was.

Callie just shrugged.

"I think, just maybe, you were a little bit afraid of our reactions, so you signed your tests with Stef's name on them. Am I pretty close?"

Callie nodded, "I couldn't sign yours. You work there," she sniffed.

Lena hugged Callie closer to her, kissing the teen's knotted hair. She or Stef really needed to help Callie comb her hair out. She wasn't sure why they had not noticed it before. They had to carefully comb out Jude's curls, and Callie had the same curly hair, only much longer. Plus, she usually wore it in a messy bun on top of her head. They'd definitely not realized there was a possibility Callie wasn't brushing it out at all.

But, at the moment, that was neither here nor there. Right now they needed to talk about why she had felt the need to forge Stef's signature on several math assignments.

"You knew it was wrong, didn't you? It is why you got so upset when you couldn't find your backpack."

"Yes," she whispered in response.

"You know, Cal, you know you're safe here, right? You know that no matter what you do, you are safe here?"

"Until you make us move to another home. Then we won't be safe. I've been here before. It's easier to hide bad grades than it is to tell a foster parent I made a bad grade. I know I can't do the math. I can barely help Jude with his math, and he's only in the second grade. I'm in the seventh grade. It was safer not to tell you I was doing so badly."

"Oh, Love," Lena said, pulling Callie to her closely. She wanted to soak up as much of this closeness as Callie would allow her.

"You know we can't let this go, right, Cals," Lena asked. She felt Callie stiffen on her lap.

"We'd never hurt you, Love. We will never not let you eat. I know that is a major fear of yours. We would never punish Jude for something you did wrong or punish you for something Jude did. You are two separate children, and it is time people started treating you that way. And I think now is as good a time as any," Lena started her mini lecture with, but then Callie interrupted her, "Please don't send me away. Please. I will try harder at math. I won't sign Stef's name to anything. I am sorry. Is Stef mad at me, too?"

"No, Stef isn't mad at you. Neither is Lena," came a voice from the living room doorway.

Callie looked toward the door, another sob escaping her lips as she watched Stef come over to the couch and sit down with Lena and Callie, picking up the laters feet and placing them on her lap so she could sit closely with them both. She wanted to be able to give Lena the moral support she knew she needed, present a united front with Callie without overwhelming her, and show Callie she had nothing to fear in their home. She knew it would be hard for Callie to accept though. She'd been through too much.

"We also aren't going to be sending you away anywhere. You are staying her for the foreseeable future, Cals. But you do have to have a consequence for lying to us," Lena said gently.

Callie looked back and forth between the two adults. She had not lied to them. Not at all. The confusion was evident on her face.

"Oh, you definitely lied to us, Love. A lie by omission is still a lie. Signing my name on those assignments was a lie. Not showing us those papers was a lie," Stef told her.

"Will you at least keep Jude?"

Stef sat back and sighed, rubbing Callie's leg through her pajama pants, trying to comfort her.

"How many times are we going to have to tell you that you are not disposable, Callie? That you are just as important as Jude, Frankie, Jesus, and Mariana? We are not sending you anywhere, Cals. You are, however, going to be grounded for one week," Stef told her.

Callie scrunched her face, "Again? You just ungrounded me two weeks ago. It wasn't even a punishment. You fed me and just made me go to bed an hour earlier," Callie said, more to herself than the two adults she was literally on top of.

Stef raised her eyebrows, "We can make you eat lima beans for dinner and send you to bed every night at seven."

Callie's eyes widened. She hated lima beans and somehow Stef knew it.

"Being grounded sounds great," Callie said meekly.

"You will also sit with me each night to work on math and any other assignments you need help with. If I need too, I will start checking with your teachers as well, okay, Callie," Lena told Callie.

Callie nodded, sneaking her hand slowly around Lena's waist and gently tucking her other hand behind Stef.

She'd not felt this safe in a long time. She didn't even care she was in trouble for forging her foster mother's name. She didn't care one bit.


	7. The look of a carefree child

Chapter seven: The look of a carefree child

"Look at them," Lena said from the kitchen window, staring out at the back yard later that day. Stef, who was doing paperwork at the island, put her glasses on the table and then stood up and walked over to Lena, wrapping her arms around her and staring outside.

Frankie and Jude, both in tiaras and tutus, with wands in hand, were chasing Callie, who had a batman mask on her face, around the backyard. Callie was laughing, running from the two younger children.

"She asked if it was okay that Jude was dressed like that here … when Frankie and Jude came downstairs to ask if they could go play in the back yard," Lena told her wife.

"Why'd she ask if it was okay," Stef asked, confused for a few moments.

"Apparently, it was only okay in her past homes if Jude acted like a boy and not a 'fairy,'" Lena said, making air quotes with her fingers.

Stef sagged into her wife. What had those two children been through?

"I want to keep them so badly. I want their damn social worker to do his damn job before I hunt him down," Stef whispered. Lena moved slightly to turn and look at her.

"Stef, they're not puppies. And you know their social worker is probably just busy …" Lena was almost afraid to hope Stef meant what she thought she did — that she really would find out why the social worker had not contacted them yet. All they knew was that their father was in jail and had at least ten more years before he could be let out for good behavior since he had driven drunk, killing their mother and six other people.

"They're our children, Lena, I know that. I can feel it. Part of their fears, especially Callie's, are that they can't be who they are or want or need because they will be moved. And you know, she's right. She is thirteen, but she's definitely not stupid. She's right when she says we have no say after they leave our home. She is right when she says we can't promise her that this will be her last home before a permanent is found. There is no way we can promise that, Lena. I want to be able to promise her and Jude that. How long are we supposed to wait on a the damn social worker before I hunt him down?"

"She's been with us for a little more than two months now," Lena said.

"Don't tell me you don't want them. You do. You said they were worth fighting for. We've both said that. They are worth fighting for. That child has given up everything for her little brother. We've told her over and over she is not disposable; that she is not worthless. You're too afraid to hope for it because the damn social worker won't get back with us!"

"I want them, too, Stef. So much. I want them so much," Lena said, a tear sliding out of the corner of her eye and down her cheek. Stef wiped the tear off of her wife's face with her hand.

They watched as outside the three youngest inhabitants of their home ran from one side of the yard to the other. It was the happiest they had seen Callie since she'd moved in with them, Batman mask and all.

"She looks so young. So much younger than thirteen," Lena whispered, "That reminds me … this morning when she was sitting on my lap I noticed the rats nest she is calling hair. One of us has to help her brush through it tonight. If we leave it go much longer we are going to have to cut it, and I don't have to be a mindreader to know that would not go over well."

Stef nodded. She'd noticed it earlier as well. She wanted to kick herself for not noticing Callie wasn't brushing her hair out. Looking back out into the back yard it was easy to see why she wouldn't — out there, playing with Jude and Frankie, she did indeed look like a much younger child.

Bathtime was no longer as easy as it had once been now that there were two extra children. Mariana and Jesus showered in the morning and no longer needed to be reminded to do so unless one of them was sick — especially Mariana, who would lay in bed and refuse to move when ill.

Frankie, at five, still needed help every night, especially when it was time to wash her hair, which Lena usually took on since it matched her own. Luckily for them both, Frankie's hair only had to be washed once a week.

Jude, at seven, also needed help, though they were slowly working with him to get it where he no longer needed as much help. Being in inattentive foster homes often had set him back in many areas, personal hygiene being one of them.

Lena and Stef alternated the two youngest children each night so as to give them one on one attention away from the distractions of the rest of the house.

Then there was Callie. They'd left her alone with her routine until now, after realizing she had not been combing out her her long, curly hair. It was naturally so curly that neither woman had realized she wasn't even brushing it. She definitely wasn't washing it every other day like she was told to do, but they had let that slide.

They just couldn't do that now. Not with the tangled mess Callie's hair had become. Both women were angry with themselves for not noticing it sooner.

"Do you want to take this one, or would you rather I do it," Stef asked Lena. It wasn't like it was the first time they had been in this situation. Mariana had come to them with a mess of tangled hair that had taken hours to get through. But Mariana had only been four, nearly five. Callie was thirteen and was particular about many things.

Lena looked at Stef with a smirk.

"Oh, you want to take this one? After giving up on Mariana's hair after working on it for less than ten minutes when she first came to live with us?"

Stef blushed. Patience was not always her thing when it involved her having to sit and do the same thing constantly. It was why she had become a cop. She was able to do something different every day.

"Well, you know, Love, you are used to doing your own hair — and it DOES take quite some time for you to do it. So, I bet you'd know exactly what to do," Stef tried to hint slyly. Lena laughed so hard she started to snort into her hand.

"What's so funny, Love," Stef asked genuinely. She honestly had no idea why Lena was laughing at her.

"You really think I didn't know I was going to be the one to help Cals with her hair? Honestly, Stef. Its like you don't even know yourself," Lena said laughing, "I can't believe you even asked if I wanted you to help her."

Stef looked at her for a few moments and then sighed. Of course Lena was right. She had thought she'd be helpful and try — but she and Callie would more than likely butt heads quickly. It was the kind of thing she wasn't good at, but Lena was.

"It's okay, Love, your heart is always in the right place," Lena said, then leaned over and kissed her blushing wife.

Callie stared at Lena for several moments without saying a word. She'd been called into Stef and Lena's bedroom after they ate dinner. She didn't think she'd done anything else to get in trouble, though she was silently glad to be called out of the room she shared with Mariana because the older teen was doing her homework and was mad the moms wouldn't let her go to a party since she'd gone out the night before and had slept until past noon, so her homework was not even started until nearly two. Jude had banished her from his room because he and Frankie were playing something with princesses and dragons. Jesus had asked her if she wanted to play video games with him, but she was grounded so had to decline. So, honestly, she was bored to tears.

"You wanna what?"

"Cals, when is the last time you brushed out your hair," Lena asked her, leaning against her side of the bed, ignoring Callie's question.

Callie reached up to her hair and tried to run her fingers through it. She couldn't. She knew it had been a very long time since her hair had been really brushed out. It took too much time, so she always just put it in a bun on top of her head. Otherwise it was huge and stuck out everywhere. It wasn't like she had ever been shown what to do with it. She hadn't had a haircut in a while, and hadn't had a professional haircut since before her mom died.

"I don't know … it's been a while I guess."

"Wouldn't you rather it not be in a huge knot, Love? I can help you brush it out and then you will have a much easier time with your hair. And, Stef and I will help you whenever you need it," Lena explained.

"I don't want help. It will hurt," Callie said, remembering one of her past foster mom's who had gotten so angry with Callie about her hair she'd smacked her on the side of the head with the brush and then tried to rip through the tangles.

"It won't hurt, Love. I promise. I would never intentionally hurt you. And this won't hurt. I understand the frustration of having hair that is hard to comb through. I have some detangler we will put in your hair so I can brush though it, then you can lay over the side of the tub and I will shampoo and condition your hair for you, put in some more detangler, and then we will let it dry before you go to bed. Once it dries, Stef or I can braid it for you so it doesn't tangle that badly again. How does that sound," Lena asked.

Callie sighed and looked down. Tears starting to form in her eyes. She looked so small, young, and vulnerable to Lena in that moment.

"Oh, Love, come here," Lena said, her arms open.

Callie took a few steps to Lena and then stopped and looked up at her, "If it starts to hurt, can we stop?"

Lena smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. It was a sad smile. Because she knew how much this was hurting Callie. How much Callie already felt like she was giving up.

"Yes. How about we put on some cartoons and we will take our time."

Callie sniffed, "I'm grounded."

Lena nodded, "You are. I am glad that you are conscious of that. However, Stef and I talked about it and this is going to take a while. It is not something we can do and you read a book. So, just this once, we will watch cartoons in here. If you understand why we are letting you," Lena explained.

Callie nodded. She got it.

"I get to watch cartoons for now because you know it's going to take a really long time. But I gotta be good while you're doing it or the cartoons go off. But, you will stop if it hurts," Callie said quietly.

"Good girl. You are very right. You ready, Cals?"

"Yea. Better than listening to Mariana complain about having to stay home and do her homework," Callie said, climbing up on Stef and Lena's bed to await what she was sure would be torture.

But it still had to be better than listening to Mariana.


	8. Hair, not the musical

**Chapter eight: Hair, not the musical.**

Callie sat on the end of the bed, with Lena behind her spraying copious amounts of watermelon smelling detangler over her hair to the point her hair was drenched in the stuff.

"At least it smells good," Callie mumbled as she watched Spongebob on the television in Lena and Stef's room.

Lena smiled as she tried to gently work out the tangles in Callie's hair as she sat behind the child.

Starting from the bottom and working her way up, Lena realized the task was going to take some time. Callie's hair was much longer than they'd realized. Once it was fully brushed out, she expected it to nearly reach Callie's behind.

"Why don't you comb out your hair after you wash it, Cals," Lena asked her softly.

Callie shrugged. She didn't know. When she'd first gone into the foster care system she'd been eight. The first foster home had made sure her hair was always brushed out. By the third foster home, she'd had more hair jerked out of her head by rough hands than she cared to admit, so she started taking care of it herself. Then in juvie it had been easier and safer to just throw it up in a bun. When she'd come to Stef and Lena's, she'd just not bothered, fully expecting to be sent back to juvie when she finally got Jude back.

"I don't know anymore."

Lena worked gently on the knots in Callie's hair quietly for several moments, listening to the sweet sounds of Callie's laugh as she watched the porous, yellow sponge on the television try so hard to get

"One foster home smacked me across the back of the head with a brush," Callie said casually.

Lena stopped mid brush and looked down at Callie, "Am I hurting you, Love?"

"Nope. First time in a long time someone messing with my hair hasn't hurt. Including myself," Callie said, not really paying attention to anything but what was happening on Spongebob.

Lena nodded to herself, knowing Callie couldn't see her. Part of her was glad Callie was in her own little world at the moment. It was nice — just the two of them in steady silence.

She continued to work on Callie's hair for the better part of an hour, and she was finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Cals, I am almost done. After this, we are going to wash your hair and brush it out again. Then we will let it dry."

"What about my bedtime," Callie asked, not taking her eyes off of the television. She'd not really ever been the one to pick what to watch, and it was a treat.

"It's Saturday, and though you are grounded, this is more important. We need to get your hair to a point where it is manageable."

Callie nodded, "Can I take a bath in the big tub?"

Lena froze halfway to Callie's hair. The action caused Callie to turn and look up at Lena.

"You want to take a bath in my bathroom after I wash your hair?"

Callie shook her head.

"No, I want to take a bath while you wash my hair. I don't want to lean over the tub. Ever. I'd rather take a bath."

Lena looked into Callie's eyes. She wasn't sure what Callie was thinking, but she was sure there was more to this story. She didn't want to push Callie.

"You'd want to take a bath while I washed your hair, Love? I didn't think you'd want me in there. You're thirteen. When Mariana was thirteen she'd have a heart attack if one of us walked in the bathroom," Lena said.

Callie turned her entire body around, causing Lena to, once again, realize how young Callie really was.

"Lena, I was in juvie for three months. I don't care what you see. Besides — you kind of have the same parts I do and it's not like I have anything to show. So, what does it matter? Just means I don't have to take a bath after you finish my hair."

And just like that, Lena realized again everything Callie had been through in her young life.

"Does it bother you, Lena? I can take a bath after if it makes you uncomfortable. It just doesn't bother me. I lost my modesty when I went into foster care. It's not a big deal," Callie explained.

"Love, you deserve your modesty if you want it. But, no, it does not bother me. I'm a mom, I've seen it all. And you're right. I have the same parts you do."

"So, can I have some bubbles? I really like the soap Stef uses and I bet it will make great bubbles."

Lena laughed and nodded, standing up from the bed to start running the water for Callie's bubble bath — not even caring for a moment she was probably about to use an entire bottle of soap to make the bubbles Callie asked for.

* * *

After a forty-five minute bath, having hair shampooed and conditioned, and begging for another five minutes to just sit in the bathtub, Callie was wrapped in Stef's robe, back on the end of the bed, watching one of the Harry Potter movies that was on television.

Lena had once again sprayed the watermelon detangler on Callie's hair.

And oh how wrong she'd been about how long Callie's hair was. It went past her behind when straight. From personal experience, she knew once the curls dried her hair would appear much shorter. But the child had so much more hair than they had realized.

"Now we wait for it to dry, Love."

Callie looked up at Lena and smiled shyly, "Thanks, Lena. My head already feels a lot better. It doesn't hurt like it did. Do you think you can cut some of my hair off now that its brushed?"

Lena was just about to answer when a knock was at the door and the door cracked open with Stef's head peaking in.

"Everything okay in here? You've both been really quiet. Hey! Is that kid wearing my robe? You better be glad I love you, Sweets, because I wouldn't let just anyone wear my robe, you know," Stef said, winking at Callie.

Callie smiled, "Lena said I could wear it because I took a bath while she washed my hair and I didn't have any clean clothes in here except a tank top and underwear."

"Whoa, Cals. Your hair is beautiful, Love," Stef said, walking over and running her hair gently over the freshly washed chestnut locks. Neither Stef nor Lena could believe just how much hair she had. It bothered them both that they'd not realized sooner what Callie had been doing with her hair. They had known it was thick. They'd not known it was so long.

"Callie was just asking me if I could cut some of her hair off," Lena told Stef.

Stef nodded. She understood where this was going.

"We need to get her and Jude more clothes, too. It's time. We — no ma'am, Callie, not a word from you about this," Stef said when she noticed Callie was about to tell her she didn't need new clothes. Callie had been adamantly against the idea each time it was brought up.

"Your clothes are either much too small or much too large. You need new clothes. We can go tomorrow and get your hair cut. We need to talk about how you want it cut before any of it is chopped off, okay," Lena asked.

Callie sighed and nodded. She hated shopping. But having less hair would be nice.

"It's set then. We will go shopping tomorrow," Stef said.

Callie sighed again. This was not going to be fun.

* * *

 **AN: I have had some readers tell me this story is similar to others. For that, I am sorry, as I am trying to make this alternate universe as different as possible. I already have quite a bit of it written. But I can assure you I have not copied any of this story from anything else. These are my thoughts and ideas mixed with those of Freeforms "The Fosters."**

 **On another note, I have also had questions about Brandon. Those will all be answered eventually, but he would have been a year older than the twins. Questions about anything else? Ask away!**


	9. Shopping

Stef and Lena followed the girls closely as they walked through the mall — Marianna, followed by Callie, with Frankie practically in Callie's back pocket.

For once, the mothers were glad the boys were not with them. Jesus was at Emma's house and Jude was with Stef's mother, absolutely refusing to go shopping.

Callie hadn't wanted to go either, but Lena and Stef had told her she had to since she was grounded. It was part of her punishment for lying to them about her math test and forging Stef's signature on it.

And Callie was miserable. That much was obvious.

They were there because Callie wanted her hair cut, which had been their first stop, Stef and Lena agreeing to nine inches of hair being cut, still leaving Callie with hair well past her shoulders. Callie had immediately put her hair in a ponytail after it was cut, though Lena and Stef could both tell she was proud of her haircut.

Callie also had to have some clothes. More than the two pairs of pants and three shirts. More than a few pair of panties and she needed a few training bras since, hopefully, she would put on some weight soon, which in turn would more than likely mean she'd need to start wearing a bra. And she had no socks. Jude needed more than he had as well, but even he had more than Callie.

She had written her sizes down and handed it to Stef that morning, stating she decided she wasn't going and she could get her hair cut at a later date. Stef had looked at the piece of paper Callie had handed her and held in her laughter.

None of the sizes were correct. Stef knew that right off. But that wasn't what was funny. It was what the note said:

"No pink. No bright colors. No pink. Some flannel is okay. No weird color jeans. Just regular jeans. No PINK. I hate PINK. I already live in a room that looks like a unicorn puked and then rolled in it. NO PINK. I MEAN IT."

When Callie realized she had to go, however, Stef had thought she was going to cry, despite Stef asking her how she thought she was going to get her hair cut if she wasn't with them.

"Callie. Callie. Callie. Why are you mad?" Frankie asked Callie again, pulling Stef out of her thoughts.

Callie sighed and tried to walk faster, but Frankie slipped her fingers through one of Callie's belt loops.

"Callie you have to slow down! I can't walk as fast and you have to answer my questions!"

If anything, Callie tried to walk faster, but Frankie, while small, was still half Callie's size and weighed Callie down, slowing her movements.

"Frankie, stop," Callie whispered, nearly begging. She didn't want Stef and Lena to hear her. She didn't want them to think she was being mean to the little girl. She was only a bit younger than Jude, but they were so different. Jude was timid. Frankie was outspoken. She took after Stef, that much was for sure.

Lena chuckled, watching the interactions in front of her.

"How long are we going to let Frankie pull on Callie like that? Isn't she miserable enough?" Stef asked Lena.

"We should …" Lena started to say, until Callie turned to the left, causing Frankie to jerk and tear the belt loop on Callie's jeans. Frankie fell, Marianna stopped and turned, Callie froze, and then bolted down the corridor to her left, towards the bathrooms.

"I've got Callie, you get Frankie and Marianna." Stef said to Lena as she headed towards the area Callie had run off. Callie had been with them such a short time, she didn't feel it was a good idea to send Lena after her, not knowing how far the girl would run.

Lena watched Stef run to where Callie had disappeared as she walked up to Frankie, who was being comforted by Marianna.

"Callie is mean!" Frankie cried, as she reached her arms out towards Lena from Marianna's hip.

At this, Lena's eyes narrowed. She took the child, but then stood her up on the ground and took her hand, leading her to a nearby bench.

Lena sat on the bench and brought Frankie to her, standing her between her knees.

"Callie is not mean. Mommy and I have talked to you about this several times since Callie moved in with us. She is not used to so many questions. When she asked you to stop, what should you have done?" Lena asked.

Frankie frowned and stared up at her mother. She crossed her arms and stuck her bottom lip out. She did not, however, respond.

"Francesca. I asked you a question."

Frankie's bottom lip went out further, causing Marianna, who was trying to remain invisible, to snicker.

Lena's head shot in her direction, "Miss Thang, if you don't want to be in this conversation, I suggest you mind your manners and sit down while I talk to your sister."

Marianna's head nodded, and she quickly went to another nearby bench to sit and look at her phone. She definitely didn't want to be involved in any of this. She just wanted to shop.

Lena turned back toward Frankie, "You have to give Callie space when she asks for it. I realize you are only five and sometimes you don't understand things, but Callie asked you to stop, correct?"

Frankie nodded, sullenly.

"So what should you have done?"

Frankie shrugged, sticking her bottom lip out and staring at the floor. Stubborn. The child was so stubborn. Lena knew Frankie knew exactly what she should have done, but at the moment, in front of her stood Stef's child through and through.

* * *

Stef ran after Callie. She was surprised at how fast the girl could run, but was pleasantly surprised when Callie stopped and sat against a wall at the end of the corridor instead of running out the exit, setting off alarms.

Stef stopped mid-jog, then walked over to Callie and slid against the wall into a sitting position beside her.

"Well, Love, I have to say, you can definitely run like the wind. Maybe we need to put you on the track team."

Callie tried to laugh a little through the tears running down her cheeks.

Stef put her arm around Callie and hugged her close, "Frankie can be a bit overbearing at times. I think she learned that from Mariana."

This time Callie did laugh as she put her chin on her knees.

"You can't run, Love. Not anymore. You cannot run away from your problems."

"I hurt Frankie," Callie said, bearing her head in her crossed arms.

Stef squeezed Calle closer to her and kissed the side of her head.

"Love, you did not hurt Frankie. Thats on Mama and me. We should have made Frankie leave you alone sooner. That is on us, not you. And Frankie is also to blame a bit. She knew what she was doing. She knew she was getting on your nerves and you told her to stop and leave you alone. You didn't push her. She fell when your belt loop tore. The only thing you did wrong was run."

Callie shrugged.

"No ma'am. You can't shrug this one off. You can't hide from your problems. You need to come talk to me or Lena. You have to figure out how to deal with things in healthier ways."

"I'll try," Callie whispered.

"Okay, how about we go find everyone else and head across the street to the boutique Mariana 'just has to go to,'" Stef said.

Callie looked up at Stef, "Can we be done now? Please? I have more clothes than I have ever had and I am tired of being here. We got my hair cut hours ago and that was why you made me come. Next time Lena can shop for me, not Mariana, though."

Stef laughed. It had definitely become clear while shopping that Callie hated shopping and Mariana and she had nothing in common when it came to clothes.

"One more stop and then we are done. Let's go," Stef said, standing up and then offering her hand to the teen, pulling her up so they could go find the the others.

 **AN: Thank you for the reviews. To clear up a few things that will probably come to light in the story at a later date, Stef and Lena already had the twins and had adopted them when Brandon died. Brandon would be 17, the twins are 16. The got the twins when they were four. Questions? Ask away!**


	10. A Necklace Lost

**Chapter ten: A necklace lost**

They were in the boutique across the street from the mall. Callie was still miserable, sitting on the floor against the wall. She had been drug into more stores than she could count and she was beyond done with the entire shopping "experience."

She had new clothes, which had all been picked out by Stef and Lena, who then made her try them on until she had been ready to cry, but she had stubbornly refused to. She didn't need new clothes. She had plenty. More than she had had in a long time because her social worker had given her a bag when he had come over after she had gotten Jude safely away from Jim Pearson. Nothing fit perfectly, but it was more than she had had before. Now, though, she had tons of clothes. More than she even knew what to do with.

"Try this on, Callie." Marianna said from the middle of the store, holding up a long sleeved fuzzy shirt that had pink hearts all over it.

Callie was absolutely done. She was not trying that ugly ass sweater on.

"No," Callie said, picking at her worn converse shoes, with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Yes. Callie, you have to try this on. Come on," Marianna said again.

"No." Callie said again, reaching up to hold onto her necklace, something she often did when anxiety was starting to set in.

When she reached, though, it was to nothing. No necklace. Just her neck, bare.

Her heart began to race faster, and she jumped up, looking around frantically. She had to have lost it when she was trying on the endless pile of clothes at the mall. So it had to be at the mall. She hadn't tried on anything at this stupid boutique. So it had to be at the mall.

"This is your fault," Callie screamed towards Marianna, Stef, and Lena. Several other people in the store turned towards the group, curious about what was going on.

Callie needed to go to the mall. It was across the road, or roads. Four roads to be exact. She needed to go to every store they'd made her try on clothes. She needed to do it now. Her mind was racing. She had to figure this out. She had to find it. That was all her mind was set on after yelling at her fosters moms and sister.

Stef, from across the room, could see it in Callie's eyes. She could see the timidness leave Callie. She had seen this in the eyes of many criminals. Callie was suddenly fearless. Determined. She wasn't her usual self.

Callie was about to run again, for the second time that day. Stef just wasn't sure why this time. At the least the first time she had understood. This time she was clueless.

Callie stared at Stef and Lena and then the door leading to the outside. She then bolted out the door and towards the street.

"Shit," Stef said, shoving her purse to her wife and running after the thirteen year old girl.

There was nothing in Callie's mind except that she had to find her necklace. She had to. She was running as fast as she could, not watching traffic as it sped past her and horns honked.

She was just about to reach the median and cross onto the other side of the street when she felt herself being jerked out of the air by her arm.

"What the hell? Let me go," Callie screamed, turning to see who had her arm and, at the same time, trying to get to the mall.

But, it was Stef.

Stef.

If looks could kill, at that moment Callie Quinn Jacob would have been dead. Because the look Stef was giving her was full of the fear Callie had lost and the anger Stef had mounting inside of her.

"Let me go! I have to go get it," Callie yelled, struggling to get out of Stef's grasp so she could continue to the mall. She could get there if the woman would just let her go.

Stef, who had reached her limit and possibly shaved years off of her life after watching Callie run through traffic and nearly get hit several times, turned Callie slightly and, with her palm out, swatted the child's jean clad bottom eight times, punctuating each smack with a word, "We. Do. Not. Run. Out. In. The. Street!"

Callie froze. She didn't know what the hell had just happened, but her face was blushing from embarrassment as cars passing were honking or giving the duo a thumbs up.

"Give me your hand," Stef said, not waiting on Callie to respond, but grabbing the girl's hand to walk her back across the street to see what in the hell had spurred this little event.

Tears were flowing down Callie's face now. She was confused. Stef had smacked her, and it should have hurt. But it didn't. Well, it had hurt her pride. But nothing else. She wasn't even sure what she had done wrong.

"I have to find it," Callie whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. She reached up with her hand, the one Stef was holding, and without thinking wiped her nose across the back of Stef's hand. Stef grimaced, but it wasn't the first time and probably would not be the last a child had wiped their runny nose on her.

"What, Callie? What do you have to find that is so important you nearly got yourself killed," Stef asked, lecturing, watching traffic, and guiding Callie back to where Lena was standing by the car, fear also written all over her face, her hands wringing nervously.

"My necklace!"

"All of this for a necklace, Callie Quinn Jacob? Necklaces can be replaced. You cannot," Stef said irritably, opening the car door and guiding Callie into the car, still holding her hand. She was afraid if she let her go, she would take off again. Stef buckled her in, hoping it would stop her from running.

"It was my mother's. It is all I have left! I have to go get it," Callie cried, rubbing her face and running nose on the back of Stef's hand again. Stef knew the teen was distraught. There was no way she'd ever willingly wipe her nose on her foster mother's hand the way she was at the moment.

"Are you sure you were wearing it today, Cal," Lena asked from behind Stef.

"I always wear it, Lena," Callie screamed through her tears. Why didn't these women understand anything? Lena sighed. She'd not meant to set Callie off at the moment. She was truly concerned about what had just happened.

Stef had to take a deep breath, her adrenaline was still running high. They did not smack their children's behinds often, and she definitely should not have smacked Callie's behind because she was their foster child and more than likely didn't understand why she'd been swatted, but Callie had scared her to death. A few swats versus a dead child was worth it. But she had to regain control of her own emotions so she could better control the situation. She knew this wasn't an ideal situation.

"Watch your tone, my friend. Because you are in enough trouble right now," Stef told her, more softly than she had been talking.

"I have to find it! I have to," Callie said, tears now falling down her face in earnest. Stef could tell Callie was about to have a panic attack. Her breathing was fast, her tears were falling down her face more quickly.

"We will retrace our steps, Cals. Every store. Every dressing room. Okay," Lena asked, causing Stef to nod in agreement.

At that moment Mariana came out of the store with Frankie and a shopping bag.

And that was when Callie saw it.

Frankie was wearing her necklace.

* * *

 **AN: Like it or hate it, there is a reason for everything and for everything there is a reason. Merry Christmas.**


	11. Flashbacks

Callie's tears slowed and a look of anger spread over her face as she unbuckled her seatbelt, somehow got out of the car by going under Stef's arm, and then stomping over to Frankie and Mariana.

Neither Stef nor Lena had a chance to do anything before Callie stopped and lowered her face to be even with Frankie's.

"Francesca, that is my necklace. It's MINE. It isn't yours. You need to give it back to me right now! You had no right even putting it on! Now take it off and give it to me NOW," Callie yelled.

Frankie looked from Callie to her parents and back at Callie, her eyebrow raised and her mouth open. She looked so much like Stef when she did that.

"You're not my boss, Callie. You can't tell me what to do unless you are babysitting and you're not," Frankie said back, then reached up to hold the necklace in her hand to try and keep it from Callie. And there was the Mariana in her. Ever the lawyer-to-be.

"No, give it to me now! You don't get to take my things! That necklace was my mom's! It was the only thing I had left of her! Give it here," Callie continued to scream at the little girl.

Before Frankie could say anything else, Lena and Stef walked over to the two girls. Lena grabbed Callie, Stef picked up Frankie, and both looked at Mariana and gave her a look that told her she needed to get in the car and not cause any issues.

"Lena, let me go. Frankie has my necklace. She stole it!"

Lena gently moved Callie to the side of the car and moved her into the seat she had recently vacated. Lena bent over her and buckled her seatbelt again and then placed her hand on her knee, "You need to calm down, Love. We will handle this when we get home. You need to calm down and take deep breaths. I know you haven't had a good day. I know you didn't want to go shopping. I know you have been miserable. We have to work on you running off and putting yourself in danger. We have to work on you keeping your cool a bit better."

"She has my …" Callie started, but stopped when Lena put her hand up, telling her to stop.

"Stef will get your necklace. When we get home we will talk about this, okay," Lena asked softly.

Callie nodded sharply and then took the bottom of her shirt and wiped her face.

"Fine."

Lena shook her head at the stubborn child who had just took several years off of her life.

"I need you to drive," Stef suddenly said to Lena from behind her.

Lena looked up at her wife — Stef was white as a sheet, her hand clutching Callie's necklace.

"Okay, Stef. Get in the front. Mariana, buckle Frankie in, sit between her and Callie. Let's go," Lena said.

Stef climbed into the front seat and closed her eyes, trying to erase the images in her head …

* * *

 _Stef listened as dispatch came over the radio in her police vehicle._

 _'_ _Dispatch units to Elm and 14th. Head on collision. Unknown fatalities.'_

 _Stef looked at her partner, Hernandez, and nodded. He picked up the radio and responded they were less than five minutes from the area and were headed that way._

 _They were there within minutes, and could immediately tell the scene wasn't good. There were white sheets laid over bodies already. It looked as if the driver of one vehicle had gone onto a nearby sidewalk hitting several pedestrians before hitting another vehicle head on._

 _Stef and Hernandez got out of the vehicle and ran towards the scene to see what help was needed._

 _Captain Roberts was on the scene, too. She looked up and saw Stef and started walking over to her as quickly as she could._

 _"_ _I can't let you go over there, Stef," Roberts said at the exact same time Stef looked over and saw a white convertible, top down. Her mind couldn't process the red color of blood all over the whiteness of what was left of the car._

 _"_ _No. No. No. No no no no no …" Stef said, her eyes widening, her breathing picking up._

 _"_ _Stef, I can't let you go over there. You have to go get back in your car. Hernandez …" Roberts said._

 _It was then Stef saw it. A small blue and red Nike shoe. It was so familiar. Why was it so familiar?_

 _Then two EMTs picked up a person — no. No, not a person. A child. A small child._

 _The brown hair. The bare foot. The …_

 _"_ _NO," Stef screamed in anguish, dropping to her knees. She screamed so loudly everyone stopped for a split second to see._

 _"_ _Come on, Stef. I will take you home to Lena. Hernandez can stay here," Roberts said gently._

 _Stef didn't hear her. She heard nothing. She was drowning on air. Her heart was beating, but had stopped at the same time. Her world was turned upside down._

 _She was in an alternate universe. A universe that could not be hers._

 _It couldn't be._

 _Because if it was, she'd just watched her six year old son's dead body taken out of his father's crashed convertible._

* * *

 _Going home was torture. How did you explain to your five year old children that their brother was dead? How did you tell a mother her child was dead?_

 _Stef was completely quiet. Roberts was driving, but knew better than to say anything. Stef was stoic as possible right now._

 _But she had to go home and tell her wife and children their son and brother were never coming home._

* * *

 _Stef watched her wife break down and Jesus and Mariana struggle to understand what was going on._

 _Lena cried in her arms, then held Stef and her children close._

 _"_ _We have to call Sharon and Frank. My mom and dad," Lena said._

 _Stef only nodded._

* * *

 _She stared at the blue coffin in anguish. Mariana was clinging to Dana. Mariana still didn't understand. Neither did Jesus who was sitting with her father._

 _Lena held her hand, her mother sat on the opposite side._

 _They had requested there be no flowers. He was a little boy. Flowers weren't for boys. Brandon had told her that a million times._

 _Instead, there was the soft hum of classical music filling the void. Brandon had loved classical music. He had been taking piano lessons for the past year._

* * *

 _Callie running across the road, through traffic, nearly getting hit by several different vehicles._

 _Brandon's little foot, hanging in the air. His small Nike show laying beside the damaged car._

 _Callie's look of frustration because Stef wouldn't let her continue across the street._

 _Brandon being lowered into a six-foot deep hole. She'd never see his smile again. She'd never see his brown eyes, or his brown hair, or his excitement. She would only see him in photos…_

* * *

Stef snapped out of her fog and turned slightly, so she could see Callie.

Tears were coursing down the child's face. But she was alive, and unharmed.

And to Stef, at that moment, that was the only thing keeping her from breaking apart.


	12. Fun at Grandma's house

Jude officially had a new favorite person his life.

And, he was going to call her Grandma.

At seven, Jude knew enough about the world to when people were truly good and wanted him around.

And Grandma definitely wanted him around.

"Jude, doll, pass me the cucumber sandwiches will you," Sharon asked, taking a sip of tea, her pinkie out.

The two were sitting in the living room on the floor at the low coffee table, a complete tea party set before them — cucumber sandwiches, sweet tea, cookies, and tiny little cakes. Sharon had a purple feather boa wrapped around her neck and a wide brimmed hat on top of her red hair, while Jude had a bright blue feather boa and a similar hat on his head.

"Of course, madam," Jude said with a giggle, picking up the small plate of cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches, with the crusts cut off per Jude's request. Sharon had told him this was how you had a proper tea party. They'd been at it for more than half an hour by this point and Sharon was surprised the little boy had not yet grown tired of playing. Stef had told her he was equally as eccentric as she was, though Sharon swore she had no idea what her daughter was talking about.

"Would you like a small pickle roll, sir," Sharon asked Jude, seeing how much he loved the ham, cream cheese, and dill pickle roll.

"Why yes, madam, I would be delighted to eat another one of your fancy rolls," Jude said, gently taking three pieces and putting them on his plate.

"So, Jude, tell me how are you enjoying living with Stef and Lena?"

Jude looked at her, his head tilted to the side. Adults usually didn't ask him questions like that. Usually they didn't care what he thought about where he was living.

"Why?"

Sharon looked at the seven year old — Jude looked to be only five, perhaps even younger. He was underweight, but from what Sharon could tell, not nearly as much as Callie. But Jude was less guarded. He trusted more easily. She could not even get Callie to say one word to her when she'd first met her, and even now Callie rarely ever talked to Sharon unless questions were directed at her.

"I am just curious, Doll. Remember, Stef is my baby. I am just curious what it is like living with her now that she is a mom. It's been a long time since my little girl has lived under the same roof as I have."

"So, you just want to know what she's like now?" Jude asked quietly, picking at the ham wrapped around a pickle.

"Sure, Doll. Or we can talk about anything. Do you like school?"

"Did you know that Callie isn't my boss anymore? And Jesus and Mariana aren't either, but they never were. Unless they are watching me like a babysitter would. Why is Callie not in charge of me anymore, Grandma? Lena and Stef didn't really explain it to me. And I'm glad I don't always have to do what Callie says because sometimes I don't understand. But Callie seems really sad all the time. I don't want her to be sad. She's all I have. She always promised my mommy that she would take care of me. Now that mommy is dead, she has to take care of me."

Sharon stared at the seven year old boy. Out of the mouthes of babes.

"Why do you think Callie is sad, Doll?"

"Well, she's afraid Stef and Lena won't keep us both. But she told me she'd go back to jail before she'd see them throw me out because they are safe people I guess. Callie used to get thrown against the wall and into the shower by Jim, but Jim wasn't so bad to me except once when I tried on a dress. He didn't like that. Callie said she has to make sure I am safe and it doesn't matter what happens to her. That's why she let Liam touch her in her bedroom, cause he said he would hurt me. Callie doesn't know I know. I heard them though, even though I don't really understand exactly what happened. Callie cried a lot after that though, and she said she was okay though. We got moved from that house not much longer after," Jude said, taking a bite of a cucumber sandwich.

Sharon's "gut feelings" started to go into overdrive at that moment. She knew better than to question the seven year old much, but she had a feeling she needed to talk to Stef and Lena.

* * *

Callie was close behind Stef and Lena as they walked to up to Sharon's house. She was ready for this day to be over in more ways than one. She was pretty sure she was in trouble, but she was also pretty sure Frankie was in trouble, too.

But, that didn't necessarily mean Frankie was. Frankie was their real kid. And it was common knowledge that real kids trumped foster kids every time, no matter what had happened.

Callie had been so deep in thought she'd nearly run into Lena from behind, only narrowly avoided doing so because Stef caught her.

"Careful, Love," Stef said as she opened the door to her mother's house.

"It's rude not to knock," Callie mumbled.

Stef looked at a her, shocked and then laughed as she walked through the door.

"I grew up in this house, Cals. I have never knocked on the door. I don't think I am going to start now. Come on, let's go see what Jude is up too."

Callie nodded her head and then walked behind the two women.

Stef and Lena stopped midway to the living room, and both were stifling giggles.

"Hey, dolls, care for a cuppa," Sharon asked, raising her tea cup up for them to see.

Callie stared at the scene in front of her. Jude was wearing a blue feather boar and a hat and his nails were painted blue and hot pink. Her eyes grew wide.

"Jude, what have you done," Callie whispered.

Jude looked at her, then to Stef and Lena, and then at Sharon.

"Grandma said I could. We have been having a tea party," Jude said excitedly.

A month before, Jude would have not been so oblivious to Callie's displeasure.

Lena leaned over as Stef went into the living room, "Remember he is safe. He is allowed to play how he wishes. He is not doing anything wrong."

"But, Lena!"

"No, ma'am."

"Fine," Callie said, tears threatening to fall.

Why did these women make her feel so vulnerable? So unable to care for Jude? Why did they make her feel like she wanted them to want her? It wasn't fair. She didn't want to be wanted.

But would it be so bad to be wanted?

Callie was no longer sure.


	13. The necklace, revisited

**Chapter Twelve: The necklace, revisited**

Callie sat in the kitchen and glared at Frankie who was sitting across the island from her. Frankie was staring back, her arms crossed over her chest.

Lena was cooking dinner and keeping her eyes on the two girls while she cooked, thinking back to the talk she and Stef had had with Sharon earlier.

 _"_ _You two need to talk to Callie about a Liam. I have a bad feeling about this person. Jude said …"_

 _"_ _Mom! Tell me you did now bombard our seven year old with questions about their past lives," Stef hissed. Stef was still wound tight from Callie running into the streets and nearly being hit. She took a deep breath._

 _Sharon put her hands on her hips and and stared at her daughter._

 _"_ _Stefanie, of course I didn't! He just talked to me during our little tea party. Some of the things he said …"_

 _"_ _What did he say, Sharon," Lena had asked._

 _"_ _He said Callie let 'Liam' touch her in her bedroom so he wouldn't hurt him. I just have this feeling …"_

 _Lena had stared at Sharon for several moments, confusion written all over her face._

 _"_ _Who is Liam," Lena finally asked._

 _"_ _I am not a hundred percent sure, but it seems he had to have been a male in one of the homes she's been in. How many did you say she'd been in? The child is only thirteen years old, her mother was killed when she was, what, eight," Sharon asked in a whisper._

The conversation would replay in Lena's head for a long time, she knew. They knew they needed to talk to Callie, but Stef and she had both decided they wanted to look at Callie and Jude's files first. They didn't want the children knowing they were looking at the files. Foster children often thought their files marked them, like a bad omen throughout life. It was something Stef and Lena had had to deal with when they had emergency placements when they had first started fostering children. Those children were usually older and hated when their files were mentioned.

They no longer took emergency placements, and Callie had only been placed with them because she didn't handle male authority figures well at all. Then Jude had been placed with them after Callie had gone after him.

Jude should have been placed with them when they got Callie. Stef and Lena had always been open to siblings.

They needed to see Callie and Jude's files to see what the children had been through.

"Can I get up now," Frankie asked. She felt like she'd been sitting at the table for hours.

"No," Lena said, as she checked the rice she was boiling.

"Why," Frankie asked.

"Because you are in trouble and Mommy and I need to talk to you about it."

"When."

Lena's eyes narrowed. The child knew exactly what she was doing and Lena was definitely not going to give into her.

"When Mommy and I are ready."

"Is Callie in trouble, too?"

"That is none of your concern."

There was silence afterwards and Callie laid her head down on the table. She felt like this day was never going to end. This had, no doubt, been the longest weekend ever.

* * *

"Wake up, Love, we need to talk before supper," Stef gently shook Callie awake.

Callie jumped and looked around. Frankie was still sitting across from her, her arms still crossed, and supper looked to be nearly complete.

"Come on, Love. We need to talk about today," Stef said again.

Callie nodded and then wiped her eyes. She knew she hadn't been asleep long, but she was still disoriented.

"Okay girls, Frankie, let's talk about Callie's necklace. You knew it was hers, yes." Stef asked.

Frankie shrugged.

"No ma'am, that is not good enough. Use your words," Stef lectured.

Frankie sighed and rolled her eyes a bit.

"I knew it was Callie's. It fell off in the car and I put it in my pocket and when we were in the store I put it around my neck. Callie didn't even know her necklace was missing til she realized it inside the store and then ran out. It wasn't even my fault!"

Stef raised her eyebrow at her youngest.

"Had you told Callie her necklace had fallen off and had given it to her, you wouldn't be in trouble."

Frankie shrugged again.

"She should take better care of her things. You always tell us if we lose things we aren't taking care of them."

"And I also told you there is a difference between losing your shoes every day and something being actually lost. Callie's necklace fell off of her neck because it's very old and the clasp is loose. That means Callie has taken very good care of that necklace for a very long time," Stef explained.

"Fine. Sorry I took Callie's necklace."

"I don't think I am the one you need to apologize too," Stef said, nodding toward Callie.

Frankie sighed again, "Callie, I am sorry I took your necklace. I should have told you it fell off your neck."

"It's okay, Frankie," Callie said in a whisper. What else did they think she was going to say? That she was really angry at Frankie? The kid was five and their real kid. Callie wasn't dumb. She knew how this worked. It worked the same way all foster homes worked, no matter how safe they made her feel most of the time.

"Frankie, you are grounded from television and will go to bed early all week. Now, go wash your hands and then tell everyone it is time for supper. Remember you have to count to fifty when you wash your hands," Lena said.

Frankie, thankful for the reprieve, jumped down and ran toward the stairs.

"Walk, Francesca," Lena said.

The two women took this time to look at Callie, who was obviously exhausted, but they only had a short amount of time to talk before the rest of the kids came down for supper.

"Callie, honey, do you realize why you are in trouble for today," Lena asked softly. It had been a rough day. That was definite. They were all tired.

"Because I lost my necklace," Callie said quietly.

Stef came around to Callie's side and lifted her chin up so she could see her face.

"Love, you are NOT in trouble for losing your necklace," Stef said gently, "That was an accident."

"Then why can't I have my necklace back," Callie asked. It was the last thing she had left of her mother except for Jude. She needed it. It was the only string attaching her to a happy life. The happy life she had had before her mother had died.

"Oh, my love. I am not keeping your necklace from you. I wanted to talk to you about either getting it fixed or buying a new chain for the pendant so you can wear it without worrying about it falling off again," Stef said, rubbing Callie's back.

"Then why am I in trouble? I didn't do anything," Callie said, glaring at Stef.

"Callie! You ran out in the middle of traffic," Stef said, trying to keep her cool. The girl had scared her to death when she ran out in front of all of those vehicles.

"That's why?"

Callie looked confused, but she was saved when the sound of stampeding children were headed to the stairs.

"We will finish this talk after supper, understood," Stef said, moving to help Lena get the food on the table.

Callie nodded and then turned to watch as everyone came into the kitchen for supper.

* * *

 **AN: I had some comments about Frankie and talking like she is not a 5-year old. I disagree. She is the youngest in a family with two educated mothers and two older siblings who are quite a bit older than she is. I have a niece who could hold a conversation such as these when she was 3-5-years old. In the** **family she grew up in, I believe Frankie would be similar.**


	14. Wanted

"I want my belly button pierced," Mariana said over baked chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes.

Stef and Lena stopped and looked at her.

"No," Lena and Stef said in unison.

"Moms, how is that even fair. Isn't that a bit … hypocritical? I mean …" Mariana started to complain before her mother cut her off.

"Miss Thang, I am not completely sure where you are going with this, but you are not getting your belly button pierced. Or your nose. Or your tongue. Or anything else you want to put a hole through. You have three piercings in each ear. That is plenty," Stef lectured as she dished corn onto Jude's plate.

"Callie has more piercings than I do and she's three years younger! Seriously! Look at her ears. There are four in her left ear and five in her right," Mariana stated matter-of-factly.

"Yea, one of my foster sisters did it when I was ten. She pierced ears at the mall and brought the stuff home because she wanted to practice," Callie said with a smirk.

She knew the moms probably didn't approve of her ears having so many holes in them, but she'd had them for a while now. Callie honestly didn't even know why Mariana was even asking her moms if she could get her belly button pierced.

"See! Even Callie is cooler than I am," Mariana whined.

Callie looked at her with an eyebrow raised. What a stupid thing to say. Callie didn't have a single friend. Mariana had a lot of friends. Callie just wanted to blend in; Marina was born to stand out. That was obvious.

"Mariana, that is enough," Stef said.

"You have yours pierced! How is that even fair, Mom?"

"I am also an adult," Stef said, her eyebrow raised in an 'I dare you to keep talking' way.

" _You_ have your belly button pierced," Callie asked, shocked, with her eyes wide with a look Stef had not seen before — almost like — mischief twinkling in her chocolate brown eyes.

Lena tried to stifle a laugh with her hand.

"What does that mean, young lady," Stef asked, moving her hands to her hips.

"You … you're … you're a MOM. And not like a trashy mom either," Callie said, utterly shocked.

Lena could not hold in her laughter any longer. It came spilling out to the point she had tears falling down her cheeks and she had to put her fork down to wipe her tears away.

"I think," Lena said laughing, "she is calling you old, Love."

"Hmph. I am not old!"

"How old are you," Jude asked suddenly, stuffing a spoonful of mashed potatoes covered in ketchup in his mouth. Unfortunately, ketchup all over his food was something he had picked up from Jesus. The little boy absolutely loved ketchup. With Jesus and Jude eating so much of it, they'd practically had to stockpile it.

"Forty-two. Which is not old!"

"I don't know, Mom. That is getting really close to fifty. So, Mom, you might be considered old …" Jesus said, stuffing a piece of ketchup covered chicken in his mouth.

"I am not old," Stef said, pretending to pout.

"How old are you, Lena," Jude asked.

"Thirty-nine," Lena said, trying to stop laughing.

"So this is a no to the belly button piercing," Mariana asked.

Callie shook her head. She didn't understand this discussion at all. But it at least the attention wasn't on her.

And it almost seemed … normal.

* * *

"Callie, wait, Love," Stef said from the kitchen sink. All of the others had already vacated, even Lena, who had gone upstairs to help Frankie take a bath since she had to go to bed early.

Callie sat back in the chair she had just vacated and stared at her hands. She wanted to get this over with.

"We need to talk about why you are in trouble, Cal," Stef said gently, sitting beside Callie at the table.

"It had nothing to do with the necklace. I would have done anything and everything possible to find your necklace for you had Frankie not had it. I want you to know that. I would have gone to every store with you. I would have helped you find it.

"You're in trouble for running out in the street, Love. You could have been hit by a car. You nearly were. You could have been killed, Callie," Stef said, a small tremble in her voice.

"You didn't have to run after me," Callie said quietly.

Stef stared at her for several long seconds and then brought her hand to Callie's chin and raised her face to toward her own.

"I did have to run after you, Callie. I care about you and I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. I know —"

"Ive only been here two months. You don't care if something happens to me. You're just waiting on the stupid social worker to come get me and Jude to take us to the next house," Callie hissed.

Stef shook her head. How wrong the child in front of her was.

"Callie, that isn't true. That is not true at all. Lena and I care so much about you, honey. So much. I wanted to talk to you about what happened today because it wasn't okay. You ran into the street and nearly got hit four times. I shouldn't have spanked you …"

"You call that a spanking," Callie laughed.

Stef sighed.

"I swatted you eight times because you ran out in the road. As a foster parent, as your foster parent, I shouldn't have done that."

"It didn't even hurt," Callie said.

"It wasn't supposed to hurt, Callie. It was supposed to get your attention and let you know you did wrong. It wasn't until after I'd already swatted you that I even realized I'd done it. I should not have done it, but I'm not sorry I did. You scared me half to death."

"Stef, it didn't hurt. It wasn't a big deal," Callie said quietly. It wasn't a big idea to her.

"Even if I wanted to tell my stupid social worker — which I don't — he wouldn't believe me. They never do," Callie told Stef.

"And that's not fair to you or Jude," Stef said.

"You don't want to keep us much longer, do you," Callie asked Stef, looking up at her with her piercing brown eyes.

"Oh, Callie," Stef said, reaching out to rub the child's back.

"Don't," Callie hissed, moving her body slightly away.

"Callie …"

"You can't make me love it here when you are just going to send us away! You can't make Jude love you! You can't make us like it because it's not fair when you send us away! I hate you! I hate everyone but Jude! Because no one wants us! You have to stop making us like it here, Stef, because its not fair," Callie cried and screamed, her face red and tears and snot running down her cheeks and face.

Stef stared at her intently, then grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into her chest.

"I want you damnit! I want you and Jude. Lena wants you and Jude. We _want you_ ," Stef said without thinking. She wanted this child to see what love was. To understand she was wanted. To understand her brother was wanted. To see that she mattered just as much as every other child in this house. Stef wanted Callie to feel it. She wanted Callie to feel the love she and Lena had for her.

Now, both Stef and Callie were crying. This was the scene Lena walked in on after she'd called Mariana into the bathroom to help Frankie with her bath. She'd heard raised voices from the kitchen and wanted to get downstairs quickly.

And she when she did, it was to both Callie and Stef crying, arms wrapped around one another. It surprised her — Callie sobbing and holding onto Stef as if her life depended it on it, Stef crying, her arms wrapped tightly around Callie, holding her head to her chest tightly.

Stef looked up at her wife, tears sliding down her cheeks. Lena looked at her with concern and walked over to the duo.

"What's going on," Lena asked.

Callie sobbed harder and tightened her grip on Stef, wiped her face on Stef's stomach to try and clear the tears and snot off.

"Stef said you want me and Jude," Callie sobbed.

That broke Lena. Something so simple — something every child should have — was so hard for the child to understand.

"We do, Callie," Lena whispered through her own tears, "We do want you and Jude. We've been talking about it since the night you rescued Jude. We _want_ you both. Forever. We _love you._ "

"Do … do … does that mean you want to adopt us," Callie sobbed again, wrapped her hand in Stef's shirt without realizing it, and bringing it up to wipe her face again.

Lena took that moment to wrap her arms around Stef and Callie.

"That is exactly what it means," Lena said, looking Stef in the eye. She loved her wife more and more every day, and today her love went twofold.

* * *

 **AN: I realize many chapters seem short to many — please understand the chapters are "short" because they need to be. I also update fairly often. More than 20,000 words in roughly six weeks is quite a lot.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is one of my favorite chapters yet.**


	15. Talks all around

Over the next several days Callie was practically walking on sunshine. She had not, to her knowledge, ever felt the way she currently felt. She did not even truly know what to call this feeling.

Stef and Lena had sat everyone down after school Wednesday and talked to them, but, apparently, the family of five had been discussing adopting Callie and Jude for some time because no one besides Jude seemed surprised when Stef had told them all they were planning on adopting the two young children.

Everyone had seemed very excited, even Frankie who was still mad at Callie about the entire necklace thing. Jude had been shocked and then lunged at Lena and Stef, crying much like Callie had.

Callie had taken that time to sneak away from the family she would soon be able to call her own because she'd been overwhelmed by the entire situation. She was happy, but still overwhelmed.

She'd walked out the back door and sat under the tree in the backyard.

Jesus had watched her leave the house and then followed her, making sure to make enough noise on his way to sit by her because he didn't want to spook her.

"Why are you out here," Jesus asked her.

Callie shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"I remember what it's like to feel like no one wants you and then to be overwhelmed to find out someone actually does. Moms don't think I remember life before them. Mariana doesn't. I do. My biological mom used to leave us for days alone. She did a lot of drugs. Then we went to one foster home after another until we were dumped off at the police station and Mom brought us home. We weren't here long before she and Mama asked Brandon if he cared if they adopted us. He said yes — he said there was plenty enough to go around for all of us."

"Who is Brandon," Callie asked Jesus, turning her head to the side so she could see him.

"He was our brother. Mom's biological son. He was killed in a car accident when we were five and he was six. His dad was driving drunk. That's why Mom got so upset when you ran from her into the street the other day," Jesus explained quietly.

"How'd you know about that?"

Jesus laughed, "Have you met Mariana? She told me about it. She was surprised Mom smacked you. I wasn't though. I didn't have to be there to know you scared Mom to death," Jesus explained.

Callie turned red and placed her head back on her knees.

"Do you really not care if they adopt us," Callie asked him.

"There is enough to go around, Cals. You deserve a home where you are taken care of. Everyone does. And yea, Mom and Mama can't save everyone, but they can save you and Jude."

Callie sat there for several moments, a small smile coming across her face.

"Why doesn't she ever talk about Brandon," Callie asked Jesus. Callie was starting to unfold from her position a small bit.

"She misses him. I think it hurts her to talk about him. I know she talks to Mama about him. And on his birthday and the day he died, we try to go on vacation. We have pictures of him around the house, just not as many as of me, Mariana, and Frankie because he was only six. He would be seventeen now."

"Do you think he would want Jude and me to be adopted by your moms?"

Jesus smiled and looked over at Callie, "Yea, I think he would definitely want you and Jude to be adopted by _our_ moms. Remember that, if nothing else, Cals, they're going to adopt you. They are your moms, too."

"Not yet," Callie whispered.

"Yes, now. They are your moms, too."

"What if something goes wrong? What if they decide they don't want to adopt us? It takes forever to adopt kids — That is forever they have to change their minds," Callie said, staring off into the distance.

"Won't happen. I promise you. If they even thought for a second they wouldn't adopt you after telling you they wanted, too, I would never forgive them. But, don't forget, Cals, I know them. And I think you know them, too," Jesus said.

"Yea," Callie whispered. After that, the conversation was done. But Callie had a lot to think about.

* * *

Callie was sitting on her bed, thinking about her talk with Jesus. She needed to go talk to Stef. She needed to tell her she was sorry for scaring her when she ran out in the middle of the street. It hadn't really occurred to her that the reason Stef was so angry was because maybe, just maybe, she really did care. Maybe, so did Lena.

"What are you starring at," Mariana asked, bringing Callie out of her thoughts.

"Nothing," Callie said, looking down at her lap.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Callie. Geeze, lighten up."

"When are you going to tell them you already got your belly button pierced?"

Mariana froze and looked at Callie.

"How did you know about that," Mariana asked, her hands on her hips.

Callie rolled her eyes.

"You know I sleep in here, too, right? Don't worry. I am not a snitch. I just wanted to know when you were going to tell."

"I'm not planning on telling them," Mariana said.

"Why? They're going to find out when you go swimming, or when you wear some of your shirts," Callie said.

"Yea, well, just don't tell, okay," Mariana said, "we are practically sisters now and sisters don't tell on each other."

"I don't plan on telling them. How would that be fair to you? I am no snitch."

Mariana smiled at Callie. She definitely felt like they were starting to bond — even if it was with a secret she was keeping from her mothers.

* * *

"I'd never have thought Jude would cry like he did," Stef said as she started to change her clothes into her pajamas. Frankie and Jude had been bathed and were in bed, asleep. Callie had showered and was lying in bed, and the twins were now getting ready to head to bed after they finished watching a show on t.v.

"He is excited. They both are," Lena said as she took her bra off and reached for her pajamas top.

Both mothers were caught off guard when their door slammed open and Callie was standing in the doorway. Stef and Lena both went to grab their clothes faster than they had been previously.

"Callie," Stef admonished lightly. It wasn't a big deal the girl had come into their room, it had just caught them off guard. Jesus and Mariana always knocked, they could hear Frankie coming, and Jude never asked to come into their room.

"I need to talk to you," Callie stated matter of factly.

"Okay, you know we are always here to talk to you," Lena said, trying to put her shirt on without showing everything she had to her foster daughter. Finally she decided to just turn around and put her shirt on quickly.

"I've seen naked people before, Lena," Callie said, rolling her eyes. Why were these people so worried about seeing one another naked? She'd seen a million people naked in her life. It came with being a foster kid and going to juvie.

"I am sure you have, Callie, but …" Lena started when Callie cut her off, "I need to talk to Stef."

Lena nodded, "Okay. I will give you a bit while I go check on Frankie, Jude, and the twins."

Lena went to walk out the door when Callie grabbed her shirt and tugged on it. Lena looked down and watched Callie motion for her to bend down so she could whisper in her ear, "I wanna tell her I am sorry for running into traffic."

Lena smiled, "You are a good girl, Callie. I am proud of you. Go jump in bed and talk to Stef. I will be back in a little bit."

Callie nodded and then walked over to Stef and Lena's bed, climbing up into it, and then watching Stef finish getting dressed in her pajamas before coming over to the bed and sitting down beside Callie.

"What would you like to talk about, Bug," Stef asked.

Callie watched her quietly for several moments before crossing her legs and positioning herself directly in front of Stef.

"I wanted to tell you I was sorry for scaring you the other day. I didn't understand why you were so mad, but then me and Jesus …"

"Jesus and I …" Stef said automatically, causing Callie to blush and duck her head.

"Jesus and I talked this afternoon after you told everyone you were going to adopt Jude and me. I understand why you were mad now," Callie said quietly.

"Oh, Love, I was not mad. I was scared. I was so scared and upset. I was never mad. I truly love you, Callie. I want nothing but the best for you. You could have been killed."

"Like Brandon was. Jesus told me about him. I am really sorry I brought back those memories for you. I am really sorry."

Stef smiled sadly at Callie.

"I forgive you, Callie. I would never not forgive you for anything. Nothing you could do would change the way I feel about you."

"Really," Callie asked, quietly, scared that everything around her was a cruel joke, but daring to wish that it was all true.

"Really. I promise, Callie. Can I give you a hug, Love," Stef asked.

Callie nodded, tears starting to fall again. She felt like all she ever did was cry since coming to live with Stef and Lena.

Stef leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Callie, engulfing her in the love she so wanted the child to feel.

"I love you, Callie. I love you very much," Stef said, whispering in Callie's ear and then kissing the top of her head.

* * *

Lena walked in Jude's room to make sure he was covered up before she went to bed. Frankie was sound asleep, Mariana had been getting dressed for bed, and Jesus had already been half asleep when she'd walked into his room.

Jude had a bad habit of kicking his blankets off right before he fell asleep, and Lena wanted to make sure he was warm. He had been asleep earlier, so she was surprised to find him awake, his light brown eyes watching her as she climbed the bottom two steps up his loft bed.

"Hey, Bubba, why aren't you asleep?"

He shrugged and then turned to his side, putting his pinky in his mouth, something they had noticed he did when he was thinking and tired.

"Wanna tell me about it," Lena asked him.

He stared at her for a few moments before finally speaking up.

"Can I call you mama?"

Lena smiled, her eyes starting to shine with tears.

"I would love that, Bubba. I would love it very much," Lena said, kissing Jude's head and gently rubbing his back as he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	16. Just a little bit sick

It started with a tickle in the back of her throat Wednesday night. By Thursday it was more than a tickle, with a slight cough and a pain behind her eyes that just wouldn't go away. Callie was short tempered and was snapping at everyone, though she had been trying not to. For once, she'd been thankful she was grounded and had to go to bed early. By the end of each day she was exhausted. She'd nearly cried when, Thursday night, Lena had told her she had to wash her hair when she .

"No," Callie said, trying to push past Lena to go to her room. They'd just finished working on her math homework and she was exhausted. They'd had chicken and rice for dinner and she'd hated it, trying to move her food onto Jude and Jesus' plate when Stef and Lena weren't looking, but Frankie had ratted on her — probably because she was still miffed about having to go to bed so early and not being able to watch television — causing Stef to scoop more food onto her plate, though it had mostly been tomatoes and cucumbers, something she could at least stomach. Callie had noticed Lena put tomatoes, cucumbers, and ranch dressing on the dinner table every night now, so even if Lena cooked something Callie didn't like, she could the vegetables until she was full.

"Callie, you are taking a shower and washing your hair. You do not tell me no, okay," Lena told the child.

"I don't want to wash my hair. It hasn't even been three days. I want to go read in my bed," Callie snapped.

Lena's eyebrows rose up. It wasn't like Callie to have an attitude for no reason.

"What is going on, Love," Lena asked her, lifting Callie's chin up so she could look her in the eye.

That was when Callie swatted Lena's hand away, stomped her foot, and loudly said, "I am not taking a shower!"

"Young lady, that is enough. What is going on with you," Lena asked Callie, putting her hands on her hips in exasperation as she stared at the child in front of her.

"You are trying to make me do something I don't _want_ to do, Lena!"

"Callie, you have to have a bath and you need to wash your hair. You have an hour before you have to be in bed, trying to sleep. Why don't you want to take a bath?"

By this point, Callie was tearing up. Her head was pounding and her throat was starting to hurt worse.

Callie stood up as straight as she could, stomped her foot, and looked up at Lena. It was hard, however, to look like you meant what you said when you were not even as tall as your foster mom's chest and you felt awful.

Lena, for her part, was trying to figure out what was wrong with Callie. Because Callie never acted like this.

"Callie, let's go into my room and you can take a bath. I will wash your hair for you. How does that sound," Lena asked, wanting to hug Callie, but not sure it was the best idea at the moment.

"I don't want to, Lena," Callie said, tears finally falling down her cheeks.

To Lena's surprise, Callie then threw her small body at Lena's waist, wrapping her arms around her foster mother.

And then Lena knew exactly what was going on and she was more than angry with herself for not realizing it sooner.

"Callie, sweetheart, you are burning up! What hurts, Love?"

Callie looked up at Lena, shocked she'd just thrown herself at her foster mother — but she kept reminding herself that Lena was going to be her mama. Even Jesus had said so, and Jesus knew a lot.

"I feel fine," Callie lied, trying to back away.

"No ma'am. You get upstairs and get in my bathroom. We are going get you in the bath, I am going to wash your hair and then brush and dry it. We are going to take your temperature and then get some medicine in you. And while we are doing all of that, you are going to talk about what is wrong and what hurts," Lena said.

Callie, at that point, was just worn out.

"Fine," Callie said, and stomped to the stairs. She half heartedly stomped up the stairs, down half the hallway, and then into Stef and Lena's bedroom, then slammed open the bathroom door — where Stef was trying to pee.

"Callie," Stef exclaimed, shocked. The kids never walked in on them when they were in the bathroom. They knew if the door was shut, they were not allowed in.

"What," Callie asked, oblivious to the fact Stef was trying to use the bathroom in private.

"Callie, love, can you wait outside the bathroom? I will be out in thirty seconds," Stef said.

Callie shook her head no.

"Lena told me to come up here to take a bath. She's gonna wash my hair. And said I had to take medicine or something."

At that moment, Stef looked at Callie closely and realized something was definitely not right with her. She finished her business quickly, realizing Callie was going no where. She and Lena were quickly learning Callie not only lacked modesty for herself, but had no care for others' modesty either. It was the one thing that let them know how safe Callie must feel, knowing she could just walk into their room whenever she wanted without getting in trouble — apparently the bathroom was now included in that.

Stef stood up, pulled her clothes up and into place, and then quickly washed her hands. After she dried them, she opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the thermometer.

"Come here, Cals. I am going to stick this in your ear," Stef said, quickly walking over to Callie and sticking the thermometer in her ear, pushing the button on the top of it.

"Oh, Cals, you don't feel well do you," Stef said once it beeped and the number 102.8 blinked on the screen.

"Lena told me I had to take a bath and wash my hair," Callie said again.

"I realize that, Love, but let's get some tylenol in you first," Stef said.

"No! I have to take a bath! Lena told me to come take a bath and then she was going to wash my hair and THEN I was going to take medicine!"

Stef watched, in both humor and horror, as the thirteen year old stomped her foot and started to tear up.

"Callie, honey, I know Lena told you to come up here and get ready for a bath. Why don't I start your water and you get undressed. When you get in the water, I will get you a cup of water and some tylenol. How does that sound," Stef asked her, trying to calm her down. Stef knew, for a fact, it was not Callie talking. It was definitely the fever.

Callie nodded and started to take her clothes off. Stef shook her head. She'd never met a teenager who had no modesty like Callie did. Neither for herself nor others. They'd have to talk to her about that eventually. It wasn't a big deal with her and Lena, or even Mariana and Frankie as long as she wasn't forgetting about Mariana liking her privacy and Frankie as well if she asked, but Stef did not want her shedding her clothes in front of the wrong person — when she was changing at school for gym; at home in front of the boys; in front of any male; honestly, Stef definitely didn't want her changing her clothes like that outside of the house.

"Oh good, you got her in the bath," Lena said as she walked in the bathroom.

"She walked in stomping her feet when I was trying to pee. She has a temp of 102.8. She wanted in the bath because you told her to take a bath before I told her she needed tylenol," Stef said as she filled a paper cup with water and got out two pills for Callie and then walked over to the tub, sitting on a small stool they kept there.

"Here, Love, take these."

"The water is too cold, Stef," Callie whispered. Her eyes were closed and her head was lying back. Stef hadn't run her a bath as hot as she normally liked it because of the fever. She wanted to cool her down, not make her temp go up even more than it already was.

"I know, Love, but your water can't be much warmer or your fever will go up more. Now, take these and tell me, would you rather I wash your hair or Mama?"

"Mama," Callie whispered, her eyes still closed.

Stef looked over at Lena — Lena looked at Stef. They both knew it was probably the fever talking, but it gave them so much hope. Callie had been with them going on four months now — she was finally starting to let down her walls.

"Okay. I will go get you some pajamas. You listen to Mama."

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Callie was laying in the middle of their bed, her hair was washed, dried, and braided; she was in her favorite pair of pajamas with a pair of Stef's warm, fluffy wool socks, and she was under the blankets. Her pointer finger was on the bridge of her nose, with her other three fingers and thumb over her mouth. Stef had pulled her last two fingers out of her mouth once she'd fallen asleep. She looked so young in their bed, sick and uncomfortable, seeking comfort for herself, they had no doubt, in the only way she knew how.

"Her fever is still 102," Lena said, staring at her foster daughter.

"At least it has come down some. We will leave her in here so we can monitor her tonight. She can't go to school tomorrow. I will keep her home with me," Stef said.

"You have that meeting tomorrow, Stef. I will stay home with her. The kids can walk to school. Mariana and Jesus can take and pick up Frankie and Jude."

Stef nodded. She wanted to stay home with Callie, but Lena was right.

"Okay. I will come home after my meeting. If she still has a fever, we will take her to the doctor then."

Lena smiled and nodded.

And in the back of their mind, they both anticipated the moment when Callie and Jude were officially theirs. Because every single day they fell more and more in love with the two children who they knew in their hearts were theirs.


	17. Family Plan

Callie was confused when she first woke up. Where was she? She tried to sit up, but her head was pounding and she just couldn't make herself. She didn't think she'd ever felt this badly before.

"Hey, Love, how are you feeling?"

Callie opened her eyes and looked over. Lena.

"Why am I in your bed," Callie asked, her voice hoarse, her throat sore.

"You're sick, Bug."

"I have to go get ready for school," Callie said, trying to get up.

"No ma'am. It is ten in the morning. You and I are spending the day at home. Everyone else is off to work and school."

Callie fell back, thankful she didn't have to go to school today. Thankful she didn't have to do anything.

And then she sat up and vomited, all over Stef and Lena's bed.

"Oh, bug, be still, Love," Lena said, rushing to the bathroom and grabbing a towel and several rags, wetting the rags so she .

Callie immediately started crying, but did as she was told and didn't move.

"Callie, it is okay. It was an accident. An accident that you could not have prevented. Okay, Cal, I am going to take the blanket off of you, then your shirt …"

"I threw up on your bed," Callie cried, keeping as still as possible.

"You know, once Stef had the flu," Lena started as she began to clean up Callie, "and oh she was so sick. Couldn't keep a thing down. Lift your arms, Love. About the third day of her being so sick, she could barely move without help. And do you know she tried to get out of bed while I was fixing the kids dinner and she couldn't make it and threw up all over the bed. I am talking way worse than what you just did. Way, way worse. I had to go out and buy a new comforter because there was no cleaning that one," Lena said.

Callie smiled slightly at the story as Lena cleaned her up.

"Tell me what hurts, Love," Lena said, wrapping the comforter up and putting it in the bathroom so she could wash it later. She wanted to throw Callie's pajamas in the washer immediately because they were her favorite pair.

"Head, stomach, throat."

"I am going to take your temp, okay," Lena asked, leaning over to Callie with the thermometer.

A few moments later the thermometer beeped and Lena sighed.

"Time for more tylenol. 102.4. Lower than last night, but not low by any means."

"I will be okay. I need to go to the bathroom, Lena," Callie said, trying to hurry and get up.

Lena realized when Callie nearly fell, she was going to need help.

"Here, Love, let me help. After you use the bathroom do you want to take another bath? It might make you feel better. I have some chicken soup downstairs just waiting for whenever you are ready."

Callie could only nod and lean into Lena as they walked toward the bathroom. She was exhausted and all she had done so far was vomit and stand up.

* * *

Callie slept most of the day after Lena helped her in the bathroom and pulled one of Stef's t-shirts over her head, and then eat a small amount of soup before falling back asleep in Lena's bed. Lena went about her day — it was rare she was home with only one child. She spent her day catching up on laundry and watching television in her room while watching Callie sleep.

Lena had tried several times to get Callie to tell her what she liked to drink or eat when she was sick, but Callie had kept telling her the same thing: nothing. Lena didn't have to be a mind reader to know Callie probably hadn't been in homes that cared whether she was sick or not. At least not as far as Lena could tell.

It was around two in the afternoon when Stef came home, laden with every sick food she could think of since, according to Lena, Callie wouldn't tell her a single thing she wanted.

So, she had bought everyone's favorite sick supplies: Sprite, Coke, popsicles, saltine crackers, cans of soup — though she knew Lena had already made soup, it was something Jesus always wanted, probably because it was much saltier than Lena's and it settled his stomach — and she got Callie a sick prize. One she and Lena had talked about at length. It wasn't exactly a cheap sick prize like she normally gave the kids, but this one was definitely important.

"Hey, Love, how is our patient," Stef asked as she walked into her bedroom.

"Her fever is still 100.8, but the last time she woke up she said she felt a lot better. I called the doctor and talked to her nurse. She said the flu is really bad right now and if we don't have to bring her into the office then don't. When I told her Callie's fever was going down and she was drinking plenty after throwing up once, she said to wait it out. mmI think it is going to just be a 24-48 hour bug. She finally let me look in her throat earlier and there is some redness but nothing that would suggest strep. If she still has a fever tomorrow we can take her to Stat Care. Did you pick up her sick prize," Lena said.

Stef nodded and smiled, holding up a white bag.

"Let's wake her up so we can give it to her. Though I think we probably need to explain to her that most sick prizes are not this extravagant."

Lena nodded and smiled. This was something they had been talking about for a while and she was glad she and Stef were the only ones home with Callie at the moment.

"Callie, sweetheart, I need you to wake up for me," Lena said, running her fingers through Callie's hair to wake her up gently. She still felt warm, but it was much less warm than it had been earlier in the day.

Callie opened her eyes slowly, rubbing the sleep out of them. She stretched and then sat up. She didn't feel nearly as badly as she did that morning.

"Hey, that's my shirt," Stef said in mock surprise.

Callie looked down and then sheepishly gave a half grin.

"Lena said you ruined an entire comforter and she had to buy a new one," Callie said hoarsely.

Stef's face turned into one of mock horror this time, and she put her hand to her chest and opened her mouth in a fake scream, "Lena, you ail me! You told the little rugrat about the time I threw up all over your favorite comforter? Shame on you!"

Lena laughed and wrapped her arms around Callie's shoulders now that she was sitting up.

"Well, our rugrat here threw up on the bed and was very upset about it. I wanted to make her feel better since it wasn't a big deal at all — plus, I didn't have to throw the comforter away this time. I am just going to wash it. So, Callie did a lot less damage than you. A new shirt was all she needed after I cleaned her up."

"Lena said this was your favorite shirt and I could sleep in it. I can give it back to you now though. My pajamas will be clean soon," Callie said, staring at her hands.

It all suddenly came crashing down on Stef. Callie was not used to being taken care of. She needed to lighten up on the jokes with her.

"Cal, I am honored you want to wear my shirt. It is my favorite. And because it is my favorite, my favorite thirteen year old can wear it as much as she wants," Stef said, running her fingers over the side of Callie's face.

"Callie, we want to give you something," Stef started, "In this family, when someone is sick, they get a sick prize. Now, normally, it is something small. Like a stuffed animal, or a book. Something special for the person sick. Lena and I have been talking, though, and we decided it was time to get you something we think you need and deserve. It is a bigger sick prize, and they won't always be. But here, Love," Stef said, handing Callie the bag she'd carried in.

"Open it, Callie," Lena urged.

Callie took the bag and then, without even realizing it, she laid backwards into Lena. Sitting up was wearing her out.

Callie opened the bag and pulled out a box. Her eyes grew big.

"You got me a phone," She asked, her eyes huge. No one had ever spent that kind of money on her. She didn't deserve this.

"Yes we did. There are some rules. There are things locked on the phone, you are to leave the find my phone app on at all times so we can find it and you if need be, your phone is connected to mine and Mama's account so you need to ask before buying an app or anything else. You may download things you want, but Mama and I can look at your phone at any time. This is a privilege, remember that. No phone at the dinner table, or when we are talking to you. Everyone's number is in there already. You can text us or call us whenever you need or want to," Stef explained.

"I can't …" Callie said, looking at the brand new phone she was holding in her hand like it was made of diamonds.

"You can, Love. You're on the family plan now," Stef said with a huge smile. She liked the sound of that.


	18. Out to dinner

Things in the Adams Foster home died down over the next several weeks. Everyone had entered a calm between school and work, much to the pleasure of Stef and Lena. Callie had gotten over being sick after several days of bedrest and plenty of tender care from the adults of the home, and her and Jude were settling in nicely, though Jude more so than Callie.

Callie had been caught by surprise when she heard Jude call Lena mama and Stef mommy, but she had accepted it rather quickly. It pained her only because she couldn't bring herself to call them mama and mom as quickly. She didn't trust that it would ever come true — that she would every truly be their daughter. It was something she kept to herself, like she did most things. She just didn't know how much she could trust anyone with. Especially if the adoption didn't go through.

For now though, things were okay. Lena and Stef had decided to take the entire family out to eat since it was a Friday night. For the first time in a long time, not one of the older kids was grounded or in trouble; Jude and Frankie had both had great weeks at school; and Callie had made a 71 on her math test — all reasons for them to celebrate. Plus, all of the children had completed their homework after school, something that literally never happened.

"Callie gets to pick dinner tonight," Stef said as she buckled Frankie in her booster seat while Lena buckled Jude into his. Callie's head snapped up and stared at her for several long seconds.

"Why," she asked as she buckled herself in behind the driver's seat. Frankie was beside her, and Jude was on the opposite side.

"Because you studied all week for a math test without giving mama any attitude and made a 71 on it. That's something to be proud of, Love!" Stef said. Callie had worked hard to get a grade that high. Before that, Callie's highest grade had been a 63. Both Lena and Stef knew she was trying. The fact she was behind was not her fault. She'd been shipped to a different school every six months for several years. Jude had very few problems because he was younger and hadn't been in school as long. Plus, Callie was no longer allowed to help him with his homework. That had taken a major stressor off of both children.

Callie blushed as Lena reached back and patted her leg from the passenger side of the car.

"You did excellent this week, so what will it be? Whatever you want," Lena said with a smile.

"What? Callie gets to pick where we eat? Why can't I pick," Mariana whined as she climbed into the back of the SUV with Jesus.

"You picked last time, dwarf," Jesus said. He didn't care who was picking as long as he got to eat and as long as it was not Mariana who always picked weird vegetarian places no one but her wanted to eat at. He refused to eat tofu ever again. He was pretty sure his moms refused to as well.

"Jesus," Lena chastised.

"Callie gets to pick. End of story. Callie, Love, what do you want to eat," Stef said as she finally climbed into the driver's seat.

"Um … spaghetti," Callie asked timidly. Stef smirked.

"That's my girl. Italian it is," she said and started backing out of the drive.

"Do you have any idea how many carbs there are in pasta, Callie? And the bread," Mariana started lecturing. Callie turned in her seat and looked at her, confused.

"You realize the doctor said I have to gain 35 pounds, right? I've only gained four since I went to the doctor. I'm pretty sure carbs are okay."

Stef snorted as she tried to hold in her laughter. It wasn't often that Callie stood up for herself. Lena, on the other hand, turned and glared at Mariana, "Miss Thang, what have we told you about your obsession with every morsel you put in your mouth. Do not get your sisters started thinking the same way!"

Stef smiled even wider. They had not received a court date for the adoption, but they knew it would happen soon. Stef and Lena had also been referring to everyone as Mom, Mama, brother, and sister. Frankie had taken to calling Jude Bubba and nothing else. Those two got along wonderfully.

"Yea, what Mama said," Frankie chimed in. She only knew they were talking about food and Frankie loved food.

Mariana sighed and sat back in her seat. She had forgotten she wasn't really supposed to talk about food as a bad thing around Jude and Callie. Lena had told her to stop doing it in front of Frankie before the little girl started thinking of food as a chore.

The car ride to the restaurant was loud as usual, though Lena had made all of the children hush long enough for her to make reservations for seven people so they would be able to get in more quickly.

It only took the family half an hour to get to the restaurant, a favorite of Stef's.

"No one out of the car until Mama and I unbuckle Jude and Frankie," Stef said, climbing out of the car and opening the back door.

"Can I get out, Stef," Callie asked, anxious to get into the restaurant. It was a new experience to her. Being able to pick where they ate because someone was proud of her — getting to eat out period was truly a new experience for her and Jude. It had not happened often. Even since they had moved in with Stef and Lena they'd eaten out only twice.

"Yes, Love. I didn't think that one through, did I. You get out and I will get Frankie and then you can hold Frankie's hand," Stef said. Callie did as she was told and then walked around the car to Lena, dragging Frankie with her.

"Lena …"

"Yes, Love?"

"We don't have to eat here … I don't think Mariana is very happy about it," Callie said, downtrodden.

Lena laughed, "Don't let Mom hear you say that. This is her favorite place to eat."

Callie smirked and nodded.

Within ten minutes, everyone was seated. It had taken some strategic maneuvering. At home they all sat in the same seats each night, so it wasn't an issue. In the end, Callie and Frankie sat on either side of Stef; Jesus and Jude sat on either side of Lena; and Mariana sat beside Jesus, but opposite of Callie. Stef would make sure the girls all ate without issue and Lena knew exactly how to get Jude and Jesus to pay attention to the food and not everything else.

"What can I order," Callie whispered in Stef's ear. The latter leaned down and whispered right back, "Absolutely whatever you want, Love," knowing Callie would never be outrageous in her food ordering. She was too unsure about everything she ate to branch out too much unless gently prodded to do so.

"Can I get soda," Jesus asked, knowing better than to order it before asking.

"Yes," Lena said, though Stef could tell it pained her to approve of it.

"The little ones can have fruit punch or Sprite; the big kids can pick what they want," Lena said to Stef.

To both moms' surprise, Callie, Frankie and Jude wanted fruit punch, Jesus wanted Sprite, and Mariana wanted water.

"Callie, don't look now, but this girl on the other side of the room looks, like … like exactly … she looks just like you! It's so weird," Mariana said, staring across the room despite the fact she'd told Callie not to look.

Callie turned around anyways and looked in the direction Mariana was staring.

Lena and Stef watched as a sudden cloud covered Callie's face.

"Whoa, that kid does look like you, Callie," Jesus said, grabbing one of the breadsticks the waitress had just brought to the table and shoving half of it into his mouth.

Callie turned towards the twins, a glare setting on them.

"No shit she looks like me. She's my fucking little sister," she said through gritted teeth. Stef and Lena both looked at Callie, shocked at her word choice.

Callie could feel the frustration building.

At that point, Stef was glad Callie was sitting next to her because she was certain she'd have ran had she had the chance, given the look on her face.

Stef leaned over, gently squeezed Callie's leg, and said, "Watch your mouth, Love. I'm not sure what is going on, but we will talk about this when we get home. You know we don't use that language. Mariana was just telling you how much the little girl looks like you."

Callie looked up, smacked Stef's hand away and glared at her, "And I was just telling you that, no shit, she does look like me, because she is my SISTER! Her name is Sophia Quinn. She is my paternal biological half-sister. Her father's name is Robert Quinn. He is my biological father. I met them when my mother died."

The table was completely silent.


	19. The sins of my father

Stef's eyes widened, for many reasons at that moment, but she needed to focus on the child beside her.

"Watch your mouth, Callie, and you do know better than to hit. Did you say Robert Quinn is her father," Stef asked, starting to stand up because there was no way she was leaving Callie in the restaurant while she was cursing and hitting at her. She'd never left any of her children in a restaurant when they acted out, she sure would not start now.

"I want to leave. Right now. I want to leave," Callie said, and Lena and Stef both recognized her quickly approaching panic attack. Stef was several steps ahead of Callie, though, and was already digging for the keys to the SUV.

"Oh, that I can promise you is going to happen, Callie. Come on, now. Lena, I will take Callie. You guys order. We will be in the car for a bit." Stef looked at Lena to see whether she was okay inside with the other children for a few moments with everything that was currently happening.

Lena nodded, still a bit shocked. Could what Callie said possibly be true? How would she know those names if it wasn't?

She'd honestly never thought she'd hear the name Robert Quinn again.

* * *

Stef unlocked the car and guided Callie to the passenger seat. Once she was sure Callie was going to stay, she went to the driver's side and started the car, getting some air flowing through so they didn't overheat while they talked.

"I'm not talking to you," Callie snapped. She'd been so excited about eating at a place she picked out and then it was ruined by that stupid man again. Just like everything was always ruined by him.

"That's okay, Love. I will talk and you can listen. I think you know we don't use the language you used in there, correct?"

Callie didn't say anything. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to still the tears threatening to fall down her face. She was not going to cry over Robert Quinn anymore. She refused to shed tears over the hurt he continued to cause.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to me," Stef asked.

Callie was hesitant for several moments before she looked out the window and said, "I wanted to eat here. I've never gotten to pick a place to eat at."

Stef's face softened, though she knew she still needed to remain firm with the teenager, "Cals, we are only out here until you can calm down. You were about to have a panic attack in there and your language was inappropriate. You know you don't say those words. Ever. We've had this discussion. You and Lena have had this discussion. Haven't you? And you also know better than to hit. What in the world were you thinking, young lady, hitting me or anyone else?"

"I don't know," Callie sniffed, "He ruins everything, Stef."

Stef looked at Callie for a few seconds and reached over to rub Callie's arm.

"What do you mean," Stef asked her. She wanted Callie to talk, but she didn't want to force her. She'd get nowhere if she tried to force Callie into talking about Robert Quinn and Sophia if she didn't want to.

Callie finally turned and looked at Stef, tears finally breaking free, at the same time breaking Stef's heart.

"He ruins everything, Stef. Everything. I hate him."

"Who, Love," Stef asked, wanting to make sure they were on the same page — and, more importantly, to find out what Callie was saying and to get her to calm down.

"Him, Stef! Robert! I hate him so much! Everything is his fault. Everything!"

"Love, you have to give me a bit more to go on than that."

Callie took a deep breath, but it wasn't easy to talk about. Stef was acting like everything was always easy. But it wasn't. Nothing was every easy. But she had to try to explain to her — in fact, she _wanted_ Stef to know. That was a new feeling for Callie, wanting an adult to know something.

"When my mother died is when I met him. I was only eight when my mom died. Jude was two. When you're that little, they don't like to separate you in foster care if they can help it, and they thought my dad — Donald — would get out and want us after. But when they got my birth certificate, they found out Donald wasn't my biological father. They explained to me then that Jude was my half-brother. They found Robert Quinn and the social worker took us to meet him and his family.

"I was angry already. My mom was dead, my dad was in jail, and now I had another dad. I was only eight. I was still little that day. Jude and I met Robert that day, and Sophia and Jill. Sophia was seven. I could tell she was angry that Jude was there, but Jude was mine. He was all I had. She tried to push him down. Robert told our social worker he'd take me, but not Jude. He said he'd send me to a year around boarding school, give me whatever I wanted — but not Jude. Jude would have to go into foster care and stay. I told him I wouldn't leave my brother.

"The social worker tried to get me to stay and to take Jude because if Donald signed some papers, she said she wouldn't have any problems getting him to be adopted. But I started throwing things in Robert's house. Anything I could get my hands on. Then he told the social worker I was a mistake and he would never let me back into his life. When I heard that I knew I would get to go with Jude. He signed abandonment papers the next day."

Stef sat in silence for several moments.

"Good. I am glad," Stef stated. Callie's head whipped around, shocked.

"It was horrible …" Callie said, a small shake in her voice.

"I know, Cals. I know it was horrible. But I am glad," Stef reached over and pulled Callie towards her, "Because had he taken you and not Jude, you never would have been happy. Had he taken you, you may not have come to live with us. Had he taken you and Jude after you threw your fit, Lena and I would have lost out on having you in our lives. And you and Jude are worth more than just being sent off to boarding school."

"He told me I was a mistake. He said my mom should have gotten an abortion. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I do now. He said that I would never be perfect like his real daughter, Sophia. I hate him so much. He had a chance to save me and Jude, and he didn't. He said he wasn't going to mess up his perfect family for me, let alone Jude. Sophia said she'd never forgive him if he took in Jude. We went to our first foster home that night. Mom had died two days before. I have seen Sophia a few times around. She is twelve now. But I hate her just as much as I hate him. The only one who seemed to feel bad was Jill."

"They lost out on a wonderful thing, Callie. And I am not sorry they did. I am not sorry you are with me and Lena. I am grateful."

"I don't really like seeing her, ever. I haven't seen Robert since he signed the papers," Callie whispered, wiping her eyes with the bottom of her shirt, "Can we go back in? I will watch my language and I promise I won't hit anymore. I am sorry I hit you."

Stef looked at Callie, who refused to look at Stef now. She reached up and lifted Callie's chin so she could look into her tear filled eyes, "You are not disposable. You are not worthless."

Callie nodded. Stef and Lena always told her that when she felt like she didn't matter. Somehow they always knew.

"But they ordered food without us," Callie said. Stef smiled.

"Do you honestly think Mama didn't order us food? I'm willing to bet she ordered you spaghetti with marinara, with mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, and mozzarella cheese. Because despite there being so many new things on the menu, you like to stick with what you know. However, I am also willing to bet Mama also ordered you one of the soups to try and a capprese salad because of how much you love soup and tomatoes."

"You think? What do you think she ordered you?"

"Capprese salad and mushroom ravioli with extra sauce," Stef said with a twinkle in her eye. Her wife knew them all. Just as she knew her wife and children.

"I don't want to see Sophia, Stef. I don't want to see her," Callie said, wringing her hands together nervously, a tightness settling in her chest.

"Do you want to get your food to go? Or do you want us to rearrange everyone and you can sit between Mama and me? Because you know, no matter what, I know you know we will not let anything happen to you."

Callie thought for several moments, looking at the door of the restaurant longingly, finally saying, "Sit between you."

Stef nodded. That was okay. She was good with that. She didn't want Callie to think anything about this situation was a punishment because they had never and would never use food as a punishment. While eating out at a restaurant was a reward, and Callie's language had not been acceptable, they had already been at the restaurant and it was a reward for Callie's test grade and hard work, not a punishment for something Robert Quinn did to her or for Callie not being able to handle her own emotions during the heat of the moment.

None of them could have predicted Sophia being there and setting Callie off and into a panic attack. No one could fault her for her feelings and no one would. It would be something they would talk more about, but they would also try to get her to talk more about the situation as a whole and not why she used the language she had used. Stef knew she and Lena had a lot to talk about, too. This changed everything.

Together, Stef and Callie got back out of the car, and as they went to the door, Stef felt the child's much smaller hand slip into her own, providing a sort of confirmation she was doing the right thing — confirmation Stef hadn't even known she'd needed.

* * *

 **AN: Things are going to slow down tremendously now with the Adams Foster family.**


	20. Lena's secret

**AN: I know people are not getting notifications for my story as of late — chapters 18 and 19, I know, did not send out notifications. So if this one DOES send out notifications, make sure you've read those chapters as well. Enjoy!**

* * *

Lena felt absolutely numb on the ride back home. She'd gone through the motions of dinner. She'd smiled when she was supposed to, she'd made sure Jude and Frankie were eating. She'd stopped an argument between the twins and then had told Jesus he could not have another dessert, and yes, Mariana had to finish eating her soup and salad. She kept up appearances for her children, all the while her mind was racing.

Once Stef and Callie came back in the restaurant, she'd already shuffled everyone around, making sure Mariana was beside Jude and Jesus beside Frankie so each could help with their younger siblings because she knew Callie was going to need to be between her and Stef when and if they came back in. Jesus was always better with his little sister, helping her when asked and Mariana was amazing with Jude. The two teenagers had known seeing Sophia had really messed with Callie's head, and they also knew it had somehow done something to their mama as well. They just didn't know what and they knew it was in their best interest not to ask.

The moms had kept Callie between them, Lena keeping an eye on Callie and Stef watching their surroundings. They'd enjoyed the meal to an extent, but it had turned out more stressful than either mom had wanted it to be. It had been meant to be a treat for Callie and the rest of the children, but had not ended that way. Callie had barely touched her food and had folded into Lena's side within minutes of coming back to the table, reaching over and pulling Lena's phone from her purse. She then immediately started to play Angry Birds, a game Lena had downloaded for her to play when she had asked earlier in the week.

Normally, Lena and Stef both would have taken the phone from her and chastised her for not only taking it out of Lena's purse without asking, but also for having it out at the dinner table. However, today was not that day, as they'd had no trouble with Callie and her own phone other than her always leaving it at home because she wasn't used to having one or forgetting to charge it when the battery died. They were glad she wasn't attached to hers like Mariana often was to her own.

"Okay, everyone out of the car. Mariana, help Frankie take a bath tonight, please. Jesus, put the leftovers in the fridge — remember you cannot eat anyone else's leftovers without asking, young man. Jude, go pick out your pajamas and after Frankie takes a bath, you can take one. I will help you with your bath or if you sweet talk Mariana, I bet she will help you," Stef said. Jude smiled and looked towards Mariana who smiled and nodded her head.

Stef waited until all of the children were headed inside before looking down at Callie, who was sitting on the edge of the seat in the car.

"You okay, Love," Stef asked, smoothing Callie's hair away from her face. Callie nodded, but her eyes were on Lena.

To Stef it was like Callie could sense something was going on with Lena. Even though Callie didn't know what was going on, she had been watching Lena closely since going back in the restaurant earlier.

"You can go in the house, Love," Stef told her.

Callie got out of the car, but she didn't head in. She walked to the front of the car and waited. It was then that Stef knew she was going to have to wait to talk to her wife about everything going on because Callie was more in tune to Lena than Stef felt even she, herself, was at the moment.

Lena realized it as well and walked up to Callie and put her arm around her.

"What do you need, Bug," Lena asked her quietly, sensing Callie's emotions were going in overdrive. They didn't need to lose how far they had come with Callie over this incident.

"You," Callie whispered, and wrapped her fingers in the bottom of Lena's shirt. Truthfully, Callie didn't know what she needed. But she wanted Lena. She wasn't really sure why right now, but she didn't want to be too far away from the woman.

Lena smiled and leaned over so she could kiss the top of Callie's head, "Let's go put on some pajamas and watch a movie, Bug. Me and you, in my room."

Stef smiled. She knew it was Lena's way of telling her what she needed as well.

After all, Callie had just been through something that had brought back horrible things from her past — but Lena had, too.

* * *

Callie was practically on top of Lena after they both had their pajamas on and were lying in the moms' bed. But it hadn't started there — Callie had refused to go to her room and get her own pajamas, and had followed Lena into her room and picked up Stef's discarded t-shirt she'd worn the night before and shed her clothes, replacing them with Stef's shirt.

She breathed in Stef's scent as she pulled the shirt over her head. She wanted both women right now — she'd never lived in a home where she'd felt it was okay to want the parents. Not since her mother had died.

But at the same time, she knew she couldn't be selfish, and something told her Lena was who she needed most right now.

Callie then followed Lena into the bathroom, not letting her get too far from her.

Lena, used to it by now, didn't say anything. Callie seemingly knew nothing of privacy and she and Stef had learned quickly it wasn't worth it the battle when it was them, and since she didn't do it to the others in the house, they had, thus far, let it go.

"Why don't you sit on the toilet lid, Bug, while I wash my makeup off," Lena said, taking her long curls up onto the top of her head and securing it with a ponytail holder.

Lena turned the water onto a cool, tepid stream and let it begin to warm up a little. It was the perfect time to talk to Callie.

"Bug, you know you can't just walk in on just anyone when they are in the bathroom, right? Just like not everyone can see you when you don't have clothes on," Lena started. This was not something she had thought she would have to have with her thirteen year old. It was a conversation she and Stef had had with Mariana when she was six and Frankie over the last year.

"I know that," Callie said, staring at Lena like she'd grown three heads.

"Who can you just walk in on," Lena asked, leaning over the sink and starting to wash her face, enjoying the cool water against her face.

"You and Mom," Callie said without thinking. Lena looked up slowly, just in time to see Callie's mouth open, her face shocked.

"I'm sorry," Callie whispered, her voice etched with fear — fear of rejection, fear of acceptance.

Lena quickly turned the water off and dried her hands before going over to Callie, grabbing the stool she and Stef used when giving the children baths, and sat in front of Callie, taking her small hands in her own.

"You, Callie, have nothing to be sorry about. I am happy you want to call Stef Mom and me Mama. I know it isn't easy for you, but it is more than okay. I love you, Bug. I don't need a piece of paper to tell me that you are mine. I already know that. I just want you to know that. I want you to know that, without a doubt, you are mine and Stef's," Lena said, holding Callie's hands tightly in her own.

"Jude and me aren't adopted yet, though. I know how this goes. I've been in foster care for a long time…" Callie said, refusing to look Lena in the eye anymore.

Lena wasn't having any of that, though. She let go of Callie's hands and lifted her chin so Callie had no choice but to look her in the eye.

"Do you trust me," Lena asked. Lena knew more than the child in front of her and she needed Callie to trust her. To trust that she would make sure everything which needed to be done would be done and that she and Stef would be Jude and Callie's mothers very, very soon.

A tear slipped down Callie's face, but she nodded. Yes, she did trust Lena. She trusted Lena and Stef more than she had ever trusted anyone.

"Then I need you to trust that you are my daughter. You are my daughter and you will be adopted. And you will live with me and Stef without worry. I need you to know this, Callie. You may not be an Adams Foster yet, but you will be soon."

"Okay. I understand," Callie whispered, though her voice let Lena know she was unsure. But Lena didn't want to press Callie any more about the adoption. Not right now. Not at this moment.

Lena nodded and smiled, "Good. Now, let's finish our talk from earlier — who can you walk in on as long doors are not locked?"

"You and Mom."

"Yes," Lena said, thinking to herself that she'd honestly thought those days were nearly past since Frankie was getting older and Mariana rarely came in their room without asking anymore. Jesus hadn't in nearly three years — but she was glad they weren't over. She wanted Callie to be able to be a child who could seek out her mothers whenever she wanted them.

"Who can be in the bathroom when you are in there, as long as they have your permission?"

"You and Mom and Mariana and Frankie," Callie said, reciting the names of all the girls in the house.

"Well, yes, but Mom and I don't need your permission, okay? We will always try to make sure you don't mind, but if we think you need us, we will not hesitate to come in anywhere you are, okay?"

Callie nodded. She understood that.

"You are right about your sisters though. Now, who can you be around when they are changing, as long as they are okay with it," Lena asked.

"Mariana, Frankie, and Jude. Not Jesus because he is a guy. Jude is a boy, but he is still little for now. Mariana likes her privacy though, so I try to stay out of her way."

"You're right, Bug. I want you to remember that if you want your privacy, you are allowed it. Even from Mom and me — yes we may check on you, but you are allowed your privacy when and if you need it."

"I understand," Callie said to Lena, "Can we watch television now?"

Lena nodded and soon Callie was cuddled against her and drifting off to sleep, with a finger on her nose and another at the corner of her mouth, with her other hand wrapped around the bottom of Lena's shirt, barely making it ten minutes into the movie Lena had put on.

"Love, everything okay," Stef said from the doorway, walking into the room and sitting on the side of the bed, watching her wife and sleeping child.

"We had a talk about privacy and who is allowed and not to see her change clothes and vice versa. I'm not sure I was as clear as I should have been, but we can always revisit," Lena said quietly, running her hand gently over Callie's hair.

"We both know we've lost our privacy, but we never really had it. Guess it comes with the mom territory," Stef joked, "Is she wearing the shirt I wore to bed last night?"

"Yes, my dear, lovely, disorganized wife. She picked it up off the floor for you. But don't worry. She put her shirt and jeans in the exact same place when she took them off."

Stef grinned sheepishly as she rubbed Lena's side softly. She knew her wife hated having clothes thrown on the floor.

"Stef, I have to go," Lena whispered, staring at the little girl hugged into her side.

Stef froze. It was not what she wanted to hear her wife say.

"I know what you are going to say, Stef, but I have to. I have to go tomorrow."

Stef only nodded. She didn't want it, but she knew there was nothing she could do or say that would stop this from happening.

* * *

The next morning Lena stood in front of a door she'd never thought she'd be in front of again. But here she was. Standing where she vowed to never stand again.

She rang the doorbell and waited only a few moments before the door was opened.

"Hello, Robert," Lena said, her face blank, but prepared for battle if need be, her arms crossed over her chest.

Robert smirked as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Hello, baby sister."

* * *

 **AN: Okay folks, I have been asked over and over again about when I am going to bring up Liam again. It will happen. It is not something the moms can just go 'Hey, who is Liam." So please be patient. As I have said before, everything in this story happens for a reason.**


	21. Blackmailing Robert Quinn

Lena stared at Robert Quinn and walked in the house as she did so.

"What do I owe this honor to? That Princess Lena would grace me with her presence after … what, 15 years," Robert asked Lena.

"Not long enough, Robert. I see you are still going by your mother's maiden name," Lena said, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why would I use his name? Besides, you've done pretty well passing our father's great name on, Lena. You have a son, now, correct? Jesus Adams Foster. With your lesbian lover."

"With my wife, yes," Lena snapped.

"Lena, why are you here? I thought we had, oh, at least another 15 years before you graced me with your presence again."

"You have something I want. Something you will give me," Lena said without hesitation.

"What do I have that you could possibly want, Lena? That would have you crawling to me, begging for?"

Lena laughed, "Oh, I will not be begging you for anything. You will give me what I want, or I will talk to Jill and tell her all about Colleen."

That name caused Robert to freeze.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," he snapped, searching her face for any clue she could give up. He didn't find one. Unfortunately for him, Lena had learned to school her features around him long ago.

"I know you turned away your daughter because she had a little brother and because you didn't want her to mess up your perfect little life. I know you were going to send her to a year around boarding school. I know you signed papers and abandoned her. You abandoned her when you knew Stef and I would have taken her and her brother, just like we did Mariana and Jesus. You abandoned her when you knew Daddy and Mom would have taken her and her brother. She's my niece, their grandchild!"

"What makes you think Jill doesn't know about her?"

"Oh, I know Jill knows about her. But does Jill know how long you had been seeing Colleen behind her back? Do you even know how old Callie is?"

"Of course I know how old the brat is! She is 12, just like Sophia! Of course I know how old she is because I paid a pretty penny to get a forged birth certificate and even a prettier one to her damn mother to make people think she was older!"

Lena froze. This was going more in her favor than she thought. But her heart ached for her daughter. Her daughter was more than this man deserved.

"What do you mean she is 12, Robert?"

Robert grinned and Lena glared. He loved knowing something baby sister didn't.

"Exactly what I said. Why do you give a shit about this damn kid anyways? What is it you want, Lena?"

"You are going to pay for her and her brother's adoption fees because Stef and I are adopting those children; you will pay back child support and start a college fund will be started for both children. You owe them. You have no idea what you made those children go through. And now you tell me that I am going to have to go home and tell my daughter she isn't thirteen, but twelve. You, Robert _Quinn_ , will pay for it all, or I will talk to Jill, and I will tell her about Colleen — Colleen who you were sleeping with when you were married to Jill. I will also tell her about Marietta, Angela, Bianca, and Natalie. She will take Sophia, and she will leave you. And she will take all of the money Daddy gave you to make up for every false slight you felt. And I will help her. And I will make sure Callie and Jude are taken care of. That I can promise you," Lena said.

"You really are a bitch, Lena. You always were," Robert said, a feeling of panic starting to set in.

"And I am okay with you thinking that, Robert. I will do what I have to do to protect my children. You have no idea what you missed out on by turning Callie and Jude away …"

"I didn't want to raise those brats! Their mother was worthless. She was a one night thing and ended up pregnant and refused an abortion! She …"

"Was your child's mother. And now that child is mine. But you will pay for your sins. That I promise you. You will pay for every sin you have committed and only then will you pay for my silence."

* * *

Lena walked into the house mentally exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to go lay in bed and not get out again until tomorrow. She was not a vindictive person. She was not cruel and never would have even thought to blackmail a living soul — her brother was the exception because he put her children in danger.

It was true, they had not been her children at the time, but they were now, and Callie had always been her niece whether she had known about her or not. Callie had always been her father's grandchild. And by that connection, so was Jude. They were her family. And now they were her and Stef's family. How many times had Stef said Callie melted her heart with those big, chocolate brown eyes, so much like Lena's? Too many to count, and now it all made sense. It was because those eyes _were_ Lena's. Eyes they shared with Lena's father.

It was amazing to Lena how quickly Callie and Jude had become her children. Especially after everything Callie had been through. She had no doubt Jude had seen his fair share of things, but Callie had protected him from most of it. He was also young, and the younger a child was when they were returned to a stable living environment, often the better off they were. But Callie was still young, too. Younger, even, than they had thought she was. She wasn't sure how she was going to break the news to Callie that she was only 12 years old, and barely so. Lena now had Callie's original birth certificate, with her biological parents and her real date of birth on it and she and Stef were going to have to decide how to tell her and what it meant for Callie.

Lena could not help but wonder how Colleen had managed to keep Callie, in theory, more than a year older than she actually was. Had schools thought she was delayed? Or was she advanced because Colleen had worked with her? Callie was definitely behind in math, was this the reason? There were so many questions Lena had, but she needed to talk to Stef — together she knew they would be able to figure it out.

But, Lena had even surprised herself by resorting to such lengths as blackmail. But, it would work. She knew that. and the funds transferred to her and Stef's account under the guise of "child support" — which it technically was — would keep Lena from talking to Jill about Robert's affairs.

Five million dollars had secured that secrecy.

Callie and Jude's adoption was taken care of now, though it wasn't as if she and Stef didn't have the money. They did. It was the point. Lena wanted Callie to know that Robert paid for the fees after what he had done to her. Had Callie went to boarding school and received whatever she wanted when she was seven years old, she would have spent well over the five million Robert transferred by now. He and Lena both knew that.

But Callie, unlike her father, had chosen Jude because she wanted to keep him safe. And because of that, Callie had not been safe.

Then again, Callie would have still been alone had she chosen Robert. Boarding school year around would have slowly killed Callie. Lena knew that without having been in the picture then.

"Love, you're home," Stef said as Lena walked into the kitchen.

Lena smiled, but it did not meet her eyes. She was happy, but she was also sad.

Stef could see Lena's emotions before she said anything else and she wrapped her arms around her wife, holding her hand behind her head, keeping Lena close to her.

"Are you okay? How did it go," Stef asked. She knew Lena was going to talk to her brother, but that was it. Lena had just kept telling her it was something she had to do, to trust her. So Stef had done just that — she trusted her wife.

"I have Callie's real birth certificate. He paid to have hers changed. He paid Colleen to keep quiet. He is the same as he always was, but now he will pay his dues. My selfish, self-centered brother will pay for what he did to our children."

Stef leaned back from her wife and stared at her.

"What do you mean, Love," Stef asked.

"He transferred five million dollars into our bank account. For the adoption, college funds for Callie and Jude — I called it back child support. He said she wasn't worth it."

Stef's eyes grew large. Five million dollars? How had that even happened? Her wife had a lot to tell her, that much was obvious.

"She's my niece. Callie is my niece and my bastard of a brother nearly broke her. She is my daughter, damnit!"

"What," a quiet voice asked from the backdoor. Lena took a deep breath and then looked over Stef's shoulder.

She hadn't even heard Callie come in.

"Callie …"

"You're my aunt? What … why … why didn't you want us before," Callie asked, then ran out of the kitchen and the house before Stef or Lena could say another word.


	22. Runaway

Callie felt the blood rushing through her ears. She could feel her feet pounding against the concrete of the sidewalk. Her brow was starting to sweat. Her hair was flying out of her ponytail. Her mind was a jumbled mess of questions.

Lena was her aunt?

How was that even possible?

Robert didn't have any siblings. She'd researched him more than once whenever she'd had access to a computer during her years in foster care, after she had met him and refused to "live" with him. Why would she want to live with a man who refused her baby brother?

 _"_ _Sophia is your sister, Callie. Jude will forget all about you in a year. You will enjoy boarding school. You can have a horse. Anything you want," Robert said._

Like that made it okay? She didn't know Sophia. Sophia was a brat. Jude was only two then — he was still a baby now! He was only seven now. And anything she wanted? She wanted her mother. Even Robert Quinn couldn't make that happen because her mother was dead.

How was this possible that Lena was her aunt? In what world was this normal? Why couldn't she ever have normal? Why couldn't she _be_ normal? How was it possible she had landed in Lena's lap on accident? It probably wasn't.

Callie kept running. Her heart was beating fast, and she was quickly starting to lose her breath. She wasn't sure how far she had run or how long she'd been running. She wasn't even really sure where she was at.

She slowed down and looked at her feet. She had socks on, but they were dirty now. She thought she'd had shoes on, but she didn't now. She looked around and noticed the street signs and houses.

She had no idea where she was at. But she was pretty sure no one would come looking for her. So she slowed down her pace from a run to a walk.

But, she continued walking aimlessly, her thoughts still running through her mind one right after another.

What about Jude? How did Jude fit in this picture? Did they still want Jude? Did they even want her?

She didn't know. But she sure did care. And that was something new to Callie. She hadn't cared whether she was wanted in a long time. But she definitely cared about Lena and Stef.

And she hated herself a little bit for it.

Seeing a park a bit in front of her, she walked toward it. Callie knew she'd at least sorta fit in there and would hopefully go unnoticed.

Once there Callie sat in a swing and gently pushed herself back and forth, letting the breeze cool her down.

As she began to swing back and forth, tears falling down her face, her thoughts flew far away, to years past …

 _"_ _Callie, come here, baby girl," Colleen Jacob said with a laugh. They were at the park, Callie was running around the equipment, under the slides, around the monkey bars. It was a game of cat and mouse, but her mommy was not scary. Her mommy was funny and safe._

 _"_ _No mommy! You have to catch me," the little girl squealed._

 _"_ _I'm going to get you, CallieCat! Come here," Colleen laughed as she chased after her four year old._

 _Callie continued to giggle and look behind her to make sure her mommy wasn't close. This time, though, her mommy surprised her and went the other way, scooping up Callie quickly and tickling her belly._

 _The giggles coming from Callie made Colleen laugh even harder as she carried her daughter over to the swings and sat down, putting Callie's chest against her own._

 _Callie immediately put her head against her mommy's chest and listened to the soothing sound of her heart beat. It was a sound that always lulled the child into a secure place, one that could make her fall asleep in an instant._

 _"_ _I love you so much, Callie Quinn. More than the moon and every single star."_

 _Colleen wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly. She wanted this moment to last forever. The moment her four year old still craved her attention, still sought out her comfort._

 _"_ _I love you, too, Mommy," Callie whispered as she started rubbing her nose with her finger, her thumb in her mouth._

 _Before long she was asleep, and Colleen kept swinging her, enjoying the sunshine and the pure joy of her child._

"Can I sit," a voice asked, bringing Callie out of her thoughts.

Lena. Callie sighed and tried to wipe her tears away. She didn't want to talk to Lena.

"Where is Stef?"

Lena moved to sit in the swing beside Callie and gently pushed herself back and forth.

"She's in the car. She said she would wait for us — as long as it takes," Lena said softly, staring over the playground, watching the children there play.

"I used to bring Mariana and Jesus to this playground."

Callie didn't say anything, so Lena continued to talk.

"I used to bring Brandon here, too. Before he was killed in the accident. Once Frankie was born I didn't even think about it. The twins were eleven then and I had a very hard pregnancy with Frankie, so I wasn't up to bringing them to the park for a while," Lena explained.

"I didn't know you were mine biologically until last night at dinner, Bug. I had no idea that you were related to me until last night at dinner when you said that Robert Quinn was your father."

"I don't understand. Robert doesn't have any siblings. I looked him up over and over again. He doesn't have your name. I looked him up," Callie whispered.

"Bug, my dad is Robert's father as well. My dad was married before he met my mother and had Robert. For a while, Robert came to visit my dad once he married my mom and they had me. But, Robert was a very angry teenager. He resented me for having our dad, he resented my mother because he felt she took his father away, and he resented our father for everything. So the day he turned eighteen, he changed his last name to his mother's maiden name. You didn't find anything about him because you were looking for Robert Quinn, not Robert Adams.

"Callie, had I or Stef had any idea you were out there, you _and_ Jude, we would have taken you immediately. We would have left no stone left unturned."

Tears were streaming down Callie's face now, harder than they had been when Lena had sat down beside her.

"Do you still want us," Callie whispered.

Lena sighed sadly and turned to look at Callie.

"More than anything. I told you last night, you are mine. Mine and Stef's. I promised you that. I promise you that now the adoption process will go much more quickly."

Callie started to sob — because deep down she did believe Lena.

"Come here, Bug," Lena said gently, holding her arms open.

Callie didn't need to be asked twice, and quickly made her way over to Lena.

Lena immediately pulled Callie sideways onto her lap and held her head against her chest.

And Callie closed her eyes, listening to the comforting sound of her Mama's beating heart.


	23. Reactions

Stef drove home with Lena and Callie both in the backseat. She was worried about them both. This wasn't something small they had to deal with. This was potentially traumatic for both of them — for Lena, well, she would blame herself. She would say she should have known her brother had a daughter out there besides Sophia.

Lena had never actually met Sophia, but she had known about her through her own father. Lena would blame herself even for not sensing earlier that Callie was related to her somehow. How many times had they remarked about how much Callie's eyes looked just like Lena's?

She knew her wife, and knew Lena would definitely blame herself for all of it. The hurt and heartache Callie had gone through. The fear. Everything. Because that was the type of person Lena was. She wanted to save the world, but even she knew that wasn't possible. Her family, though, her family she knew she could save and she more than likely felt like she'd not done that.

Callie was already taking things hard, but watching her sit on the swing with Lena for more than half an hour had given Stef hope. Not everything was okay and they still had a lot to talk about with Callie, but it was hopeful.

Telling her she was actually twelve, not thirteen, was going to also be another blow to Callie's already low self esteem and her pride. Callie had had a birthday literally two days before she had moved in with them — she had turned twelve years old in juvie. And that broke Stef's heart. It broke her heart regardless. She knew why Callie got put in juvie and she understood it. She accepted it. She would have done the same thing to protect one of her children if that was what it took.

This was going to be yet another blow to Callie, though. She was about to find out she was a year younger than she actually thought she was — and possibly find out that her mother had been a fling with Robert while he was married to Jill and Jill was pregnant with Sophia. Because Sophia was actually a few months older than Callie was, Stef had discovered. Callie was a street smart kid, she would put two and two together pretty fast, Stef had no doubt.

She and Lena had to also figure out how they wanted to handle it. Did they want to keep her in her current grade or hold her back? They had not really talked about it, but besides math, Callie did okay with only a few problems here and there. And with Lena's constant tutoring sessions, Callie was doing a lot better in math as well. She was finally starting to ask for help from time to time, and Lena checked her homework nightly.

Could this be why Callie's social skills were not those of her peers? She was more than a year younger than most of them and she and Lena had heard Callie tell Mariana on several occasions that she was lucky because she had friends and she needed to stop trying to impress people who weren't real friends. It made them both hurt inside, that Callie felt like she didn't fit in. But the truth was, Callie had moved around so much and actually being younger than they'd thought hadn't helped either.

Stef had really done her homework after finding out about Robert being Callie's biological father. She had talked to PIs and did extensive background checks in the past 24 hours. Robert had had more than one affair and was currently in the middle of another. As far as she could tell the only 'love child' Robert had was Callie, so Stef assumed he had either learned from his 'mistakes' or paid for abortions. She had thought about finding the women he had affairs with and talking to them — but Lena had forbid it. And with the mood Lena was in, Stef wasn't going to go against her wife's wishes.

Stef pulled into the driveway and looked in the rear view mirror at her wife.

"We need to tell the kids," Stef said, her eyes never leaving Lena's.

Lena nodded. She knew they did need to talk to the older two kids. A lot of things were going on and some things were going to change. Frankie and Jude did not need to be in the conversation. They wouldn't understand.

* * *

Callie sat beside Lena as Stef called the twins down to talk with them and made sure Frankie and Jude were in Jude's room playing peacefully.

Callie was leaned in close to Lena, her thoughts still racing as they had been since she heard Lena say she was her aunt. But at the park, Lena had whispered over and over again in her ear that she was her daughter and nothing could change that now. Lena had even told her they should know more about an adoption day the following week.

Callie didn't have to be told there was a lot going on she didn't know about, too. She could tell there was a lot the moms weren't telling her and wouldn't tell the twins either. She could tell by the way they kept talking with each other using only their eyes.

The twins came in, with Stef close behind them. Callie wouldn't look up. Because she still didn't know what to think. Her mind was too muddled.

"What is it, Mom?" Mariana asked, sitting in one of the armchairs across from Lena. Jesus just sat. He knew the moms would tell them what they wanted to tell them and there was no need to ask why. That was just Mariana being impatient. Jesus figured she must have been upstairs talking to one of her friends when Mom had told them to come downstairs because the next thing he'd heard Mom say was, "It doesn't matter why, Mariana. If you want to keep that phone I suggest you leave it on your bed and get your behind downstairs."

Jesus shook his head. He didn't know why is sister questioned the moms like, ever. They always won because, well, they were moms!

Stef sat beside Callie, so the girl was sandwiched between her and Lena now, and looked at Jesus and Mariana.

"Yesterday, as you both found out, Callie's biological sister was at the restaurant we were eating at and Callie told us a little about her biological father last night, Robert Quinn," Stef started.

"We did not know that Callie's birth father was not Donald Jacob, who is Jude's birth father. Callie did know this, however, and just doesn't tell people often. Once she said the name Robert Quinn and Sophia, however, Mama and I realized who Callie's birth father was."

"What is going on, Mom?" Jesus finally asked.

"Robert Quinn is also Mama's brother. I know you guys knew Mama had a brother she doesn't talk to, that Grandpa has a son he doesn't see, but you didn't know his name because we didn't think it was important that you know. However, some things change and now we do think you need to know so you can understand why Callie and Jude's adoption is, more than likely, going to go through quickly. So you both understand why Mama reacted the way she did last night — I know you both noticed how upset she was. Mama didn't know that ..."

Mariana, who had been looking at her nails, had dropped her hand to her lap and, her eyes opened wide, looked up and stared at her mama.

"You expect me to believe you didn't know she was related to you by blood? Why else would you bring her here if you didn't already know when you already had three kids?" Mariana asked, her tone raised.

"Mariana, that is enough," Stef said.

Mariana jumped out of her seat and stood up, staring first at her mama and then at her mom.

"No! Mama needed someone blood related to her besides Frankie so she brought Callie here? Why aren't Jesus and I enough? Why weren't we enough? It took you more than a year to adopt us!"

"Mariana, stop! You know that was not their fault! And you know Mom and Mama love us just as much as they love Frankie and now Jude and Callie. If you think that about them, you don't think very highly of them!" Jesus said loudly.

"Shut up, Jesus! We are never enough! We are always being replaced! Ana replaced us with her habit and then Isabella. Mama replaced us with Frankie and now Callie! Mom will replace us next!"

"ENOUGH!" Lena boomed, shocking Mariana, Jesus, and Callie with her loud voice. It was not something they often heard. They heard gentle, sweet mama 99 percent of the time. This was get their attention mama.

"Mariana, I am disappointed that you think so little of Mom and me. But I understand. I was offering this explanation to you because Callie just found out earlier and was hurt that she wasn't told earlier. Except I did not know until last night. Mom did not know until last night. You know you have not been replaced. You know that. I am understand you are confused. I understand you feel hurt and betrayed, but Miss. Thang, you do not get to speak to Mom and me like this, do you understand?" Lena asked.

Mariana sniffed and looked toward the wall. She didn't miss Callie scooting around uncomfortably, obviously feeling awkward. Mariana could almost feel sorry for Callie. She knew Callie had been through a lot. A lot more than Mariana and Jesus had had to go through, though they had been through their fair share as well.

But then she say Callie, out of the corner of her eye, reach over and hold the bottom of her mama's shirt and wrap her fingers in it. And that was all it took.

"Whatever, Mama! Whatever! I am done with this conversation. I am going back to my room. Excuse me. My half a room. Because you gave your niece the other half of my room! So glad for that!"

And with that, Mariana ran up the stairs, leaving the moms shocked, Callie confused, and Jesus angry.


	24. Twelve

**AN: Please make sure you read the previous chapter before reading this one. I uploaded it Thursday night and I know there have been some pretty major issues going on with the site.**

 **Thanks!**

* * *

"What the hell is your problem, Mariana?" Jesus asked as he walked into Mariana's room and slammed the door.

Mariana had left the living room about fifteen minutes earlier and had fully expected one of the moms to come and lecture her for her behavior. But she'd been alone since storming up here until Jesus came into her room.

"Oh, so you're the only one who can come up here and pretend like I matter?"

"Cut the crap, Mariana! You know damn well Mama didn't know anything about Callie being related to her! You could tell something upset Mama last night and it wasn't because of Callie's language. What the hell is your problem?" Jesus hissed at his sister.

Mariana just stared at him and then threw her phone down on the bed and stood up, glaring at her twin brother.

"What do you know, Jesus? You know we are always the ones shoved aside! Ana, our grandparents, Mama!"

"Have you lost your mind or are you really this much of a selfish little brat, Mariana?" Jesus yelled at her.

That stung, Mariana had to admit.

"Callie is really Mama's niece! I am allowed to feel hurt by this information! I am allowed to be upset!"

"How do you think they feel? How do you think Mama feels? Especially since you practically slapped her downstairs," Jesus ranted.

"They barely spend any time with us now that Callie and Jude are here! Have you noticed that, Jesus?"

"Have you noticed, Mariana, that you are always with your friends or at STEM club, or acting like you have better things to do than hang out with any of us. Callie and Jude haven't changed anything. They haven't changed how Mom and Mama feel about you, me, or Frankie. Nothing has changed except for how selfish you are, Mariana," Jesus hissed.

"You don't understand!"

"I understand the world doesn't revolve around you! You're sixteen, Mariana, and you don't even realize that Callie is hurting. That kid, and she is a kid, Mariana, is only thirteen years old. How would you feel if it had been us still in foster care and then found out we had family that would have wanted us? Don't act like you don't know she has nightmares. Or are you that self-centered? You share a room with her!"

"I know she has nightmares, Jesus! I hear them! I hear her all the time. Every single night. Who do you think makes sure she is covered up and okay afterwards if she wakes up? Who do you think wakes her up if she starts to get loud? And you know why I do it, Jesus? Because she asked me to wake her up so she wouldn't alert Mom and Mama! So I do! I wake her up when she is begging people not to hurt her. I have been kicked and hit trying to wake her up from those nightmares because she tries to keep herself safe," Mariana said, tears starting to fall down her face.

"Why haven't you told moms?" Jesus asked, his brow knitted together.

"She begged me not to, so I didn't! I am not a horrible person, Jesus! She doesn't want them to know. She cries out and begs someone not to hurt her all the time. She told me that I couldn't tell because she finally felt safe. But I know she was hurt. She did it to protect Jude — 'Please don't hurt me, Liam, please. No, not Jude. I'll let you do whatever you want as long as you leave Jude alone.' I hear it all. But I made a promise and I wont break it. Especially not now that she is going to be my sister," Mariana hissed.

"Then why did you get so angry downstairs at Mama and Mom, Mariana?" Jesus asked.

Mariana looked up at her brother and hastily wiped her tears away.

"I get to feel hurt that I am not biologically related to one of our mothers, Jesus," Mariana whispered.

"Blood doesn't make us family," Jesus told her.

"Maybe not, but I wish I hadn't come from Ana. I wish I had come from Mama or Mom and not that bitch. Drugs were more important than we were. And then she fought the adoption because she thought she would be able to get money out of the moms and, Jesus, I want to be worth more than a few dollars to get high!"

"We are worth more than that! We are worth that to Mom and Mama!"

"It hurts, okay? It hurts that Callie comes in here and gets Mama! That she is related to Mama. I want that connection, too!"

With that, Mariana sat on the side of her bed and cried harder. She didn't want to be jealous of Callie — she knew Callie had been through a lot of shit she couldn't even imagine because she had, thankfully, been with her moms most of her life. Callie hadn't been lucky that way.

It did not mean she didn't wish that she was also related to one of her mothers. And she didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

Except … except how awful she had been downstairs. It had really set her off, seeing Callie wrap her fingers in the hem of Mama's shirt. It was something Mariana also did, usually when she wasn't feeling well or had something she wanted to talk about.

"I will tell Callie I am sorry. She didn't deserve what I said. But I get to be upset, Jesus."

"You can be upset. But remember, Mariana, Mama and Mom chose us. They adopted us. It wasn't their fault that it took more than a year for the adoption to go through. It wasn't their fault that Ana is such a bitch. Just like none of this is their fault.

"And none of this is Callie's fault either. I think she needs to know that you are not mad at her. She has had it rough, too. And, I think you need to talk to Mom and Mama about these nightmares Callie is having. You can't keep that a secret for long."

Mariana nodded, then jumped when she heard a yell from downstairs, "What do you mean I am only twelve!?"

Mariana and Jesus looked at one another — what in the world was going on now?

* * *

Stef and Lena were trying to keep Callie calm, but she had lost it when they told her Robert had paid to have her birth certificate altered to appear she was a year older than she actually was.

Callie was pacing back and forth in the living room, her actions almost comical had the situation not been quite so serious.

"What is his problem? I am twelve? I have already _been_ twelve and it is _not_ something I want to repeat! So does this mean I never actually turned one? If I am not thirteen, that means I am the same age as Sophia — wait, is my birthday the same?" Callie stopped and stared at Lena, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, Bug, your birthday is still the same," Lena replied.

Callie started pacing again, her hands moving dramatically as she talked, "This is what life seriously wants to hand me right now? I am freaking twelve years old! Wait, this means that I am actually younger than Sophia. This means my mom died when I was seven. It means I only got seven years with her instead of eight.

"It means I had one year less with my mom than I thought! Is this like some twisted joke? I hate him! I _hate him_ ," Callie ranted.

Stef and Lena knew they had to let her get it all out, else she was never going to come to terms with it.

"Does Jill know what he was doing while she was pregnant with Sophia?" Callie asked, staring directly at Lena since she knew Lena had seen him earlier in the day.

"No, she doesn't, Callie. She thinks you are older than Sophia by more than a year," Lena explained.

Callie nodded and then sat down on the floor, putting her head between her knees and finally letting it all sink in.

Was anything in her life _not_ a lie?


	25. Mine to Me

**AN: For those who think Mariana is out of character — Season 2, Episode 16, where Mariana tells Stef and Lena "I don't get it. You took Jude and Callie in and … this baby … she's my sister," before storming off. Two episodes later, she is mad because Callie says she is going to go live with Robert, but had no problems throwing Callie under the bus when she said that to the moms. Mariana thinks about Mariana — and I believe her actions are not that out of character for her. She tends to lose her cool and then feel bad about it later. There are other instances — but this is the episode I just happen to be watching while editing this chapter.**

* * *

By midnight, Lena and Stef had finally gotten the three youngest settled for the night, though it had been no easy feat. Callie had been beyond hard to calm down after finding out she was a year younger than she thought. It hadn't even truly been the fact she was 12 and not 13, though, that made her so angry and so upset.

It had all been because she had thought she'd spent eight years with her mother before she was killed in the car accident, not seven. And despite the fact it changed nothing, in Callie's mind it did.

Stef had gone and put the two youngest to bed while Lena stayed with Callie, who would not get off of the floor, but instead kept her head between her knees and sobbed. It was all getting to be too much for the girl, that much was clear.

"Callie, baby, come sit with Mama," Lena said, trying to sooth her as best she could.

But Callie just kept sobbing, to the point Lena was afraid she was going to hyperventilate if something wasn't done. So she got down on the floor beside Callie and pulled the sobbing child onto her lap. Callie didn't fight it, but she did not stop sobbing either.

Lena began to rock her back and forth, running a hand over her back to calm her. It took more than half an hour for Callie to stop crying, but Lena knew it was from exhaustion more than anything else.

"Callie, love, do you want to talk about any of this?" Lena asked her softly.

Callie only shook her head no. It was all too much for her right now. She couldn't even think straight. And to top it all off, Mariana was mad at her because she was related to Mama. How was that her fault? She didn't ask to be born. She didn't ask for Robert to be Mama's brother.

How had everything happened like this? She didn't ask for a single damn thing that had ever happened to her. She hadn't asked for her mom to die. She hadn't asked for Robert to be her biological father …

Callie turned, throwing her arms around Lena's neck and wrapping her legs around Lena's waist, and sobbed.

She sobbed for a lost year.

She sobbed for being unwanted for so long.

She sobbed for Jude, and she sobbed for herself.

Every emotion Callie had ever felt was coming out in her anguished cries.

Lena, suddenly realizing they were in this for the long haul, wrapped one arm around Callie and used the other to stand up. She was, for once, thankful Callie was so light because it made it much easier for her to stand up while holding the child. She knew better than staying on the floor. If she did that, she'd regret it in the morning.

Once the two were in the closest chair — thankfully a rocking chair, because Lena knew it would be easier to sooth her child if she could rock her back and forth while rubbing her back — Lena tried to calm her crying child. Out of everything Callie had been through lately, Lena would never have thought this would be what upset her the most.

It was then Lena started humming softly in Callie's ear, letting the two just find a sense of calm and wanting nothing more than to take the pain her child felt for herself, so Callie never had to feel the way she felt again.

That was how Stef found them a short time later, but by that time, Callie had fallen asleep, thankfully.

"The little ones are asleep. They wanted to have a "sleepover" in Jude's room after Jesus helped them make a fort under Jude's bed. It's Saturday, so I told them they could as long as they fell asleep quickly. By the time I walked out of the room they were both already asleep," Stef told Lena.

"Jesus and Mariana?" Lena asked.

"Well, Mariana is in her room hiding. I didn't check on her because I know she needs her space for the time being and I wanted to talk to you first. Jesus, however, had no reservations about giving her a piece of his mind. I heard her crying in her room and before I could say anything Jesus told me he had yelled at her. You know our son cannot stand to make someone cry, especially his sisters."

"She wasn't this bad when I was pregnant with Frankie. She seems almost — dejected, Stef."

Stef tried her hardest not to laugh at that. Had her wife lost her mind?

"Lena Elizabeth Adams Foster, Mariana was a terror when we found out Frankie was a girl. An absolute terror. She pouted for weeks because she was afraid we were going to replace her, and why couldn't Frankie be a boy. When Frankie was born Mariana tried to run away because 'Mama has her real baby now.' I had to search for her with Mom and Stuart for an hour. Then I just wanted to shake her when we found her hidden in a closet on the geriatric floor at the hospital because she was scared!"

Lena looked up, her eyes wide. She had honestly forgotten about that.

"I forgot she did that. I mean, Frankie wasn't exactly the world's easiest pregnancy," Lena said quietly, ashamed of herself that she had not remembered how upset and afraid Mariana had been when Frankie had been born.

"Love, she comes into things in her own way and in her own time. You know this," Stef said gently.

Lena nodded, because she did know this. It didn't make it any easier.

"Do you want me to take Callie, Love?" Stef asked. Lena nodded, though she wasn't a hundred percent certain she wanted to let her go right now.

But she needed too.

"Put her in our bed, Please. She slept in your shirt last night, she can again tonight. I am going to go talk to Mariana before I come to bed," Lena said.

Stef nodded, gently taking Callie from her wife.

"She still doesn't weigh enough," Stef said softly.

"I know, Sweetheart. But she is getting there. Slowly but surely. Four pounds is still four pounds."

Stef smiled and nodded, thinking about how Callie had pointed that out just last night.

"Okay, wish me luck," Lena said, standing up and heading up the stairs to her eldest daughter.

* * *

Lena walked into Mariana and Callie's room and shut the door behind her. She knew Mariana would be pretending to be asleep, but also knew sleep was the furthest thing from her daughter's mind.

Oh, Mariana was no doubt tired. But she wouldn't be able to sleep until either she or Stef talked to her. It was simply how Mariana was.

"Alright, Miss. Thang, scoot over. We need to talk," Lena said.

"I'm asleep," came the voice hidden underneath a pile of blankets.

Lena rolled her eyes. This child was going to give her more than a few grey hairs.

"Scoot over, Mariana," Lena said in a no nonsense tone.

A deep and frustrated sigh came from underneath the pile of blankets, but Mariana threw the blankets down and then moved to the other side of the bed so Lena could sit beside her.

Lena stayed silent for several moments. Several moments she knew would break Mariana's silence down.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you downstairs," Mariana said quietly, her eyes still closed.

"Oh? Are you?" Lena asked, putting her arm across Mariana's shoulders. Mariana naturally melted into her mama.

"I am sorry I yelled at you and said the things I did. I know I shouldn't have."

"Why did you?" Lena asked, rubbing her hand up and down Mariana's arm.

"I don't know, Mama," Mariana whispered.

"I think you do know, sweetie."

Mariana sighed.

"I don't want you to forget that I am your daughter, too. But now I am your only daughter not related to you by blood. And, Mama, it's so hard … Jesus doesn't care. He acts like he never belonged to anyone else but you and Mom. But, Mama, Ana gave me away then fought you for me because she thought she would get drug money. Then she came back into my life for more drug money and then tossed me aside for Isabella. And then my grandparents also tossed me aside because I wouldn't be baptized as catholic … I don't want you and Mom to toss me aside, too." Mariana said, a small sob escaping her.

Lena immediately pulled her daughter in closer to her, "That will _never_ happen, Mariana Adams Foster. You are just as much mine as Frankie. As much as Callie. As much as Jesus. As much as Jude. You are _mine and mom's_. No one else's and nothing will ever change that. You are mine to me. You are mom's to her. You are ours to us."

"Are you mad at me for what I said downstairs," Mariana asked with a sniff.

Lena thought for a few moments before looking down at Mariana.

"I am not exactly happy. You know how to convey your feelings without being disrespectful. However, I also realize that this has been a shock to everyone. In the future, though, I expect you to watch how you speak to me and Mom because how you did tonight was not okay. But you knew that already, didn't you?" Lena asked.

Mariana nodded into Lena's shoulder and clung tightly to her mother.

"I am really sorry, Mama. I will tell Callie I am sorry, too. It wasn't fair for me to say those things in front of her."

"It wasn't, but I am willing to bet that Callie understands better than you think she does," Lena said.

Mariana nodded in agreement, knowing that her mama was more than likely right.

"Will you lay with me until I fall asleep, Mama?" Mariana asked so quietly Lena nearly didn't hear her. It had been a long time since Mariana had asked er to lay with her.

"Absolutely, baby."

It wasn't long before both Mariana and Lena were asleep, with Mariana resting more peacefully than she had in quite some time.


	26. Nightmares

Lena may have gotten a good night's sleep with Mariana, but Stef was not nearly as lucky with Callie.

Usually when Callie slept with her and Lena, she was completely still and slept through the night. Stef had brought Callie into her room and laid her on the bed. She grabbed the shirt Callie had worn the night before and quickly undressed her and pulled the shirt over her head before tucking her in on Lena's side of the bed.

Stef knew Lena wouldn't be back tonight. She knew she'd end up falling asleep with Mariana. If she put Callie on Lena's side of the bed, they'd both have more room.

After getting Callie ready for bed and tucked in — something that didn't even wake the thirteen year old, no, wait, the twelve year old up — Stef went and quickly got ready for bed herself. The weekend had been long and she was exhausted. And she still hadn't been gotten the chance to talk to her wife about her talk with her brother earlier in the day. That was frustrating to Stef. She hated not knowing what was going on.

After Stef got ready for bed, she climbed in on her side and almost immediately fell asleep after turning the light off.

It wasn't an hour later when Stef was suddenly wife awake and she had no idea why. It wasn't like her to wake up for no reason.

But, then she heard it. Mumbling cries.

And she felt it. Jerking movements coming from Lena's side of the bed.

It took her several more seconds to realize it was Callie next to her and not Lena.

Stef turned on the small lamp she had next to her bed and was glad she did — Callie was drenched in sweat and her face was scrunched almost as if she was in pain.

"No ... no ... don't touch me again ... Liam ... no ... okay ... anything as long as you don't hurt Jude ... no ..."

Stef watched her daughter as anguish filled her face and then she went back to a conversation she had had not long ago with her mother ...

 _"You two need to talk to Callie about a Liam. I have a bad feeling about this person. Jude said …"_

 _"Mom! Tell me you did now bombard our seven year old with questions about their past lives," Stef hissed. Stef was still wound tight from Callie running into the streets and nearly being hit. She took a deep breath._

 _Sharon put her hands on her hips and and stared at her daughter._

 _"Stefanie, of course I didn't! He just talked to me during our little tea party. Some of the things he said …"_

 _"What did he say, Sharon," Lena had asked._

 _"He said Callie let 'Liam' touch her in her bedroom so he wouldn't hurt him. I just have this feeling …"_

 _Lena had stared at Sharon for several moments, confusion written all over her face._

 _"Who is Liam," Lena finally asked._

 _"I am not a hundred percent sure, but it seems he had to have been a male in one of the homes she's been in. How many did you say she'd been in? The child is only thirteen years old, her mother was killed when she was, what, eight," Sharon asked in a whisper._

Stef wanted to kick herself for not trying to dig into this situation sooner. But Callie wasn't like the other kids. She was fragile and had the soul of an ancient warrior. That kid had fought and won more battles than most adults.

"No Liam ..."

Stef looked over at her sleeping daughter.

And her heart broke when she watched Callie pull her knees up to her chest, trying to protect herself from her own personal nightmares.

"You can't touch me there ..."

Stef's eyes grew wide as she watched her child cover herself as she continued to cry and beg in her sleep.

What had her child been through? Who had hurt her?

"Callie, baby, wake up," Stef said gently, trying to ease her out of her nightmares and not scare her further.

But not scaring her further wasn't in the books for Stef tonight. Once Callie became more aware, her hands flew up to protect herself since she was still living her nightmare, causing her to accidentally hit Stef.

It took Callie nearly a full minute to realize she was no longer at the Olmsteads. She was at home in Stef and Lena's room — Mom and Mama's room.

She was twelve, not thirteen.

Mama was her aunt, biologically speaking.

Callie repeated facts she knew to try and get her mind away from the dream she'd been having. It had been a horrible dream. One she did not want to think about, but one her mind used to play tricks on her.

And then Callie realized she had hit Stef.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. I was asleep and you woke me and ..."

"Cals, baby, calm down. It was an accident. Accidents happen. You were having a bad dream and I thought it best to wake you. Do you want to talk about it, Lovebug?" Stef asked, trying to sooth Callie as best she could. The kid had a punch to her, that much was certain. Stef was pretty sure she would have a black eye in the morning.

"No." Callie said, trying to bury herself down in the blankets, grabbing one of Lena's pillows and holding it to her chest, close.

"Why don't we find you something else to sleep in? Your shirt is drenched with sweat. Would you like to take a bath or just change?" Stef asked.

Callie looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was Stef's. The one she had worn the night before. She hadn't even remembered changing. Or coming to bed.

"How did I get up here?" Callie asked, changing the subject completely.

"I carried you."

Callie eyed her carefully.

"Where is Mama?"

"She fell asleep in your room with Mariana while they were talking," Stef explained simply.

Callie nodded. She understood that. Mariana had been really angry earlier when she had found out Lena was Callie's aunt. Callie could understand that. Mariana didn't want to be replaced. Where Callie had automatically felt like Lena had known and hidden the information from her because she didn't want her, Mariana had, in turn, immediately felt like she would be replaced. It was hard being a foster kid. Callie knew Mariana and Jesus had been adopted by the time they were five, but it didn't change the fact that they'd both felt unwanted a lot in their lives. Jesus just coped with it better. He had even told her he remembered a lot before being adopted, where Mariana, to his knowledge, did not. To Callie, it seemed like remembering those things helped him adjust to other situations easier. But she wasn't sure.

It was normal, in Callie's eyes. How many times had she felt the betrayal of people because she was unwanted?

Robert Quinn had started a trend with Callie. He had made her bitter and hurt. And in every foster home she had done everything she could to protect Jude. Because Jude was a baby and needed to be protected at all costs. It didn't matter what happened to her as long as he was safe.

Until Lena and Stef.

"Cals, do you want to take a bath?" Stef asked her again.

Callie shook her head. She wasn't up to taking a bath right now. She felt exhausted.

"Let's at least change you, okay? I think I have a pair of your pajamas folded on top of the dryer," Stef said, getting up to go look.

"No, I don't want them. I want to wear Mama's shirt or yours," Callie said, closing her eyes and thinking.

Stef nodded and went to the closet, pulling one of Lena's t-shirts off of a hanger and then going back over to Callie.

"Here, Love, let's get that wet shirt off of you."

Callie sat up and took the shirt she was wearing off and replaced it with the one Stef handed her before laying back down and pulling the blankets up around her.

"Callie, can I ask you something, Love?" Stef asked gently as she crawled back into her bed.

"Yea," Callie said, opening her eyes and looking at Stef.

"Who is Liam?" Stef asked gently.

She was not prepared for another bout of sobs coming from her child or the screams of anguish as Callie suddenly covered herself completely with the blankets of the bed, so Stef couldn't see any part of the child.

What have I done, Stef asked herself.

And better yet, what the hell had this Liam done to her baby?


	27. What Liam Did

Callie stared at Stef, her eyes wide and fear etched in her eyes. This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not now. Not ever.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Callie whispered, turning her back to Stef and pulling the blankets over her head.

Stef knew this wasn't going to be easy, for either of them, but she knew this needed to happen. She needed to know who Liam was and what he had done to Callie.

"Callie, love, I know this isn't something you want to talk about — I knew it would be something you didn't want to talk about when I woke you up from your nightmare — but Love, this is so, so important. I want to help you. I can't do that if I don't know what happened," Stef said, resting her hand on Callie's back.

"I can't, Stef, I can't," Callie sobbed, her breath catching in her chest.

Stef was so tired of her daughter hurting. She was tired of her daughter fearing life in general. She wanted Callie to live the care free life she deserved. She wanted Callie to be the child she was instead of the adult she pretended to be. So much had changed in the months Callie had lived with them, she had become more childlike — something Stef and Lena had been working on. Because they wanted her to be a child. She deserved it. Finding out she was only just turned twelve instead of thirteen had been a blessing. Callie may not think so, but to the moms it gave them one more year to ensure their daughter got to be a child.

"Callie, can you sit up for me, Love?" Stef asked.

She watched as Callie slowly sat up, still sobbing silently, clutching Lena's pillow to her chest. Tears were cascading down her cheeks, the hair framing her face had come out of her ponytail and was matted to the sides of her cheeks with sweat and tears. Callie was broken. Her twelve year old child was broken.

Stef opened her arms and Callie leaned into her. She wanted nothing more than for Stef and Lena to be able to stay in the dark. She didn't want to share something with them that would make them look at her differently. She didn't want to share with them something that made her look bad. She knew they would not understand. She didn't even understand.

"Who is Liam, Love?" Stef asked gently, laying back and pulling Callie with her. She positioned herself against her pillows and then helped Callie lay against her chest. She ran her fingers over her hair to calm her.

And then she waited.

Callie was battling within herself. She wanted to share this with Stef. She didn't want to share this secret with Stef.

She wanted to share it with Stef for herself. And Callie knew that to share her secret about Liam with Stef was for her own gain. It was because she was selfish. To not tell Stef her secrets would be for Stef's benefit. It was the unselfish thing to do. Because Stef and Lena deserved for her to be unselfish.

"Love, I know you are thinking it will be easier not to tell me about whoever Liam is and why you are having nightmares about him. How long have you been having nightmares, Cal?"

Callie shrugged and moved her hand up to Stef's hair, twirling it around her fingers, soothing herself. Stef never stopped running her fingers through her hair.

"I can't tell you about him. It will make things worse," Callie whispered.

"Callie, you are my child. Nothing you ever tell me will make things worse for you. Mama and I would never not put you first, Cals. Especially for something like this. I want to protect you. I _need_ to protect you."

Callie cried, and moved her face so it was between Stef's side and arm.

"I begged him not to touch me. I begged him to leave me alone, but then he said he'd hurt Jude. Jude is a baby. I couldn't let Liam hurt him, I couldn't," Callie sobbed. She wiped her eyes and face on Stef's shirt, but the woman didn't even flinch.

"Where did he touch you, Love?" Stef asked cautiously.

Callie's cries grew louder and she pulled herself closer to Stef, clinging to her as tightly as she could, afraid to let her go and afraid to look her in the eye.

"Please, Stef …"

"No matter what you tell me, no matter what it is, Callie, we — you, me, and Mama — we will work it out together. But what I can promise you, Love, is that nothing you could ever tell me would make me love you any less. I love you so much, Callie. So much."

Callie rubbed her face against Stef's shirt again, and then looked up, her eyes meeting Stef's.

"Liam Olmstead was my foster brother. They were our home before Jim Pearson. I was — I guess I was ten. And, and, Stef — Mommy — he touched me. He touched me and made me touch him. I begged him not, too."

Callie cried harder, clinging to Stef as if her life depended on it. Stef was honestly wondering if Callie thought her life did depend on it.

But Stef was also holding on to another emotion: absolute unadulterated, pure fury. It was running through her veins and fueling her body.

Liam Olmstead would pay for what he did to her daughter. One way or another.

"Sweetie, what do you mean he touched you and made you touch him?" Stef asked, wanting to make sure she truly understood what her child was saying.

Callie looked again at her mother, tears sliding down her face freely.

"He touched me where he wasn't supposed to touch me — and he made me touch him where I wasn't supposed to touch him. I didn't want, too. I promise I didn't want too, Mommy, I promise," Callie cried.

Stef wrapped both of her arms around the child and held her close.

"I know you didn't want to, Callie. I know. What he did to you was not something you asked for or wanted to happen. Believe me, baby, I know. Mama, me, and you, we are going to figure this out together, okay? But know that we love you more than life itself, and we will do what we have to do to protect you," Stef told her daughter as she held her close. She never wanted to let her child go, not now that she had her. Callie and Jude completed their family. The only way it ever could have been perfect was if Brandon had been here, too. But it was definitely as perfect as she could imagine it being.

"What's going on?"

Stef was brought out of her thoughts as she looked to the doorway and realized they must have woke Lena up, because she was walking in the room, shutting the door behind her.

Seeing Lena caused Callie to cry even harder. She wasn't sure she could talk about Liam again tonight. She didn't think she had it in her. She felt mentally exhausted.

Stef cleared her throat, "Callie just told me about Liam — we have a lot to talk about."

Lena nodded. She knew this wasn't great. Callie was crying, Stef was holding her like she was afraid to let her go. In that moment, Stef was the anchor keeping Callie secured to reality. An anchor Callie desperately needed, Lena could tell.

But the question that continued to come to the forefront of Lena's head was a very simple one:

How much more could their Callie take?

* * *

Stef had rocked Callie back and forth until she fell asleep, a deep sleep she had been in earlier. Stef knew better than to stop rocking her. This wasn't her first rodeo, and she knew the minute she stopped rocking this child back and forth, Callie would wake up. And she didn't want that.

"Miss. Thang apologize to you?" Stef asked softly. They had talked about Liam at length, and Lena was now struggling with the information she had learned.

"Yes, of course. We both knew what her problem was. She's sixteen and is jealous, but hates that she feels that way. She is afraid me having two children who are related to me by blood will make me not pay as much attention to her. It was the same fears she had when I was pregnant with Frankie. She just needed reassured that she isn't going anywhere. Twelve years and she still has so many fears," Lena said, staring at Callie as Stef continued to sway back and forth with her like she had all of their children at one point or another.

"Tell me about your visit with Robert," Stef said gently.

Lena positioned her body around so she could face her wife.

"He is going to pay for everything. The adoption, legal fees, everything. Then he is giving us five million dollars to "pay us off," but he offered us more. He offered us a lot more."

"Lena, five million dollars, how are we going to explain that? Taxes alone will —"

"Not when it is child support, which is exactly what it is. I told him we were going through a lawyer and getting all of the necessary paperwork together, but it is child support. I told him he would never have to worry about seeing me again," Lena explained.

"Have you called your parents yet? To let them know?"

"No. I can't even think about calling them right now. They will want to fly out here immediately and I can't do that to Callie. Too much has happened to her since Friday, and I am not subjecting her to my mother or father. Especially not my mother," Lena said. Just the thought of having to deal with her mother right now was too much even for her.

Stef nodded. She agreed with her wife. Dana was a lot to take in on a good day.

"Maybe when we figure out the adoption day," Lena said, though even that thought seemed especially close. Too close.

"I should have talked to you before I talked to him …"

"No, Lena. I know this is something you had to do. Just like it will be something I have to do where this Liam Olmstead is concerned. He hurt our baby. And something will be done with him."

"Stef …" Lena started, fear laced through her voice.

Stef stopped rocking back and forth for a moment and moved a hand to Lena's cheek.

"I will never do anything to that would cause harm to come to our family. I promise. I will always put our family first, my love. Always."

Lena nodded her head — yes, Stef would always put them first. And Callie did deserve closure. She deserved it so much.


	28. Bitterness

Callie opened her eyes slowly and immediately knew Stef wasn't in the bed anymore by the cool spot coming from her side of the bed, but Lena was. So Callie rolled over and snuggled closely into Lena's chest, wrapping her hands into the bottom of Lena's shirt. She was so glad they didn't have to get up and go to school today.

She felt Lena's arm wrap around her and pull her close.

"Morning, love bug," Lena said sleepily, rubbing Callie's back.

"Morning, Mama. I don't want to start this day,"` Callie said, burrowing her head in Lena's chest.

Lena didn't say anything right away, instead taking the time to kiss the top of her child's head.

"We can't hide the day away, bug," Lena said softly.

"I'd rather. I don't want to go out today knowing what I know," Callie sniffed and used Lena's shirt to wipe her nose on.

"Want to tell me about what you and Mom talked about last night after your nightmare?" Lena asked cautiously.

Callie stiffened slightly and then burrowed her head further into Lena's chest.

"You want me to tell you about Liam. I feel like I have had enough of story time this weekend," Callie said.

"I know, love. I know this weekend has been really hard for you."

"I don't think Mom was very happy last night when I told her. You won't be happy either."

Lena moved back and forced Callie to look up at her.

"You know Mom wasn't mad at you, right, Callie? Mom was not mad at you at all," Lena said, rubbing Callie's back.

"Yea, I know. Mom was also really upset, though she tried to hide it. I don't want you to have to hide being upset about it, too," Callie explained.

"Callie, would you like to know a secret?"

Callie nodded her head in the affirmative.

"It won't matter if you tell me what Liam did to you or not, Love. I am upset with him — I am not, however, upset with you. You did nothing wrong. Liam was wrong."

Callie nodded and then turned her around so her back was against her mother's chest — and so she didn't have to look her in the eye when she talked. Once she was situated, she reached around and pulled Lena's around around her, bringing her mama's hand up to her face and taking one of her long, delicate fingers up to the bridge of her nose. For Callie, this was about as comfortable as it got.

"Liam was my foster brother. I don't know why he still lived with his mom and dad."

Lena felt her brow crease with confusion.

"What do you mean? Children usually live with their parents for a long time, Love Bug."

"No, I know that. But he was older. I think he was twenty-three, maybe older, when we lived there. He didn't work or anything," Callie said.

Lena's felt her frown deepen. Her baby had been molested by a grown man and it didn't make things any better — it made everything even worse, if that was possible. Though, nothing would ever make this better for her child.

"Do you want to tell me anything else, Bug?" Lena asked her.

"I hate him just as much as I hate Robert Quinn," Callie said with a bit of finality that scared Lena a bit. She was so young — to harbor that much hate for people at such a young age. It wasn't fair.

"Hate can do horrible things to you, Bug," Lena said quietly.

Callie turned around and looked up at Lena, confusion written all over her face.

"I don't understand," Callie told her.

"Hate can harm you more than it can the person you hate, Bug. I understand feeling hatred toward another, especially people like Robert and Liam. They hurt you — they hurt you in ways no one should ever have hurt you. But hate can make you bitter. And baby girl, you are only twelve years old. I don't want to see hatred turn you bitter."

"How would you feel, Mama? I may not actually be a teenager yet, but I am not stupid. Liam raped me and Robert Quinn fucked me over more than once, Don't you hate Robert Quinn?" Callie said quickly and quietly.

Lena's eyes widened in shock.

"Callie! No ma'am. You do not use that type of language," Lena said quickly.

It was Callie's turn to look up with wide eyes.

"I am sorry. I forgot I was talking to you, Mama."

"I don't want to hear you talk like that ever, okay? Words like that are not okay," Lena said gently, but sternly. She did not want to hear words like that coming from any of her children's mouths.

Callie looked away, ashamed that she had said what she had in front of Lena.

"Don't you hate Robert Quinn a little, though?"

Lena thought about what to say. Was she to be honest with Callie? Or was she to stretch the truth a little?

The thing about Callie was that she could read between the lines. She was twelve, but wiser than most adults. And Lena knew she had to be as honest with her child as possible. Which meant she had to share things she did not particularly like to share.

"I do hate him, Callie. He was not nice to me growing up when he visited my father. He is quite a bit older than me, but it did not stop him from tormenting me mercilessly. My father forbid him from coming to our home anymore when he found out he had been hitting me. I was around nine. My dad found out he had been hurting me after my arm was broken in a spiral fracture from Robert twisting my arm arm around."

"I am sorry he did that to you, Mama," Callie said, reaching up and putting her hand on Lena's face.

It truly amazed her how perceptive Callie truly was.

"Mama, I know what you are saying. I know what you mean when you say hate can make you bitter. I don't think I am bitter. At least not anymore. I have you and Mom now, and once I am adopted, I won't have nearly as much to worry about. But I do hate them. Robert made me realize the world didn't care about me and Jude. He made me bitter. And then Liam — Liam made me fearful. I was afraid to sleep. I was afraid to eat. I was afraid to ever be home alone. He made me hate myself more than I already did. He made me feel dirty."

Lena stared at her child for a long time without saying a word. What did you say to a child who was so wise and had seen so much hatred and horror in her short years?

"Callie, do you think you would be okay talking to a therapist?" Lena asked. It was something she and Stef had talked about at length, but, for now, they wanted the decision to be up Callie. They knew if Callie's nightmares grew worse, or if she refused to talk to either woman, they would have to make her go to therapy. But so far, Callie was flourishing with them and usually would talk to them about her feelings when prompted.

"Can I think about it?" Callie asked.

Lena nodded.

"Yes. You can definitely think about it."

"Does hating Robert Quinn make you bitter?" Callie asked.

Lena nodded.

"Yes, I think it does make me bitter at times. But I have something that has helped me be not quite so bitter."

"What?" Callie asked, genuinely curious.

"You. Bug, if it weren't for Robert, I wouldn't have you. So, I would not trade that for anything. I would not change a single thing Robert did to me. Why do you always call him by his first and last name, Callie?"

"It reminds me."

"What does it remind you of?"

"To never be a person like he is. That even though my name is Callie Quinn, I don't have to be like him. I don't have to be mean and hateful. Mama, when you adopt me, can you change my middle name, too?" Callie asked the last part suddenly.

Lena brought her child closer to her and kissed her head.

"I think Mom and I can do that for you if it is something you truly want," Lena said, understanding exactly why Callie would want and need her name changed.

"I think I will be okay, even if I am a little bitter," Callie whispered.

Lena brushed the hair out of Callie's face and looked down at her.

"Love Bug, I want nothing more than for you to never feel bitter about anything. But you are right. You will be okay, even if you are a little bitter. Because Mom and I are here for you now, and we will never let it consume you. We will never let bitterness consume you to the point it hurts you."

"That's what moms do," Callie said with a bit of finality.

Lena nodded and smiled slightly.

"Yes. That is exactly what moms do. They make sure you are safe, even if it is from yourself. Mom and I can let you make mistakes, but we will be here to keep you from making the big ones," Lena explained.

Callie nodded. She understood that. She understood exactly what her Mama was saying.

She then snuggled in close to Lena, resting her head on her chest, and falling back into a deep sleep. She felt completely safe in that moment, protected by her Mama's arms.


	29. Jealousy

Callie sat in Jude's room, under the tent Jesus had built for him and Frankie the night before. They were just sitting, with Jude thinking. For so long it had just been the two of them. Jude had only had Callie to depend on for so long. But now things were changing.

It was going to be a completely new world when they were adopted — when they no longer would have to worry about moving to another house. Jude would no longer look to Callie as a parental figure. He would be able to look at her like his sister. It would be a huge adjustment, despite the fact Stef and Lena had been working on making both children learn and realize that Callie was also a child, not in charge, and could make mistakes like everyone else without worry.

"What does it mean that Mama is your aunt for real, Sissy? What about me?" Jude asked. He was hugging the hippo Lena had gotten him not so long ago. He had overheard Mariana and Jesus talking about Lena being Callie's real aunt, and he wanted to understand what that meant. He wanted to understand that badly.

"Bubba, do you remember when I told you about how I had a different daddy than you do? That Donald isn't my real daddy like he is your real daddy?" Callie asked. She knew she had to tread carefully when she talked to her baby brother. He was only seven. He was, just like the day they had walked through the door here, innocent.

"Yes. You told me about Robert Quinn and Sophia. Sophia knocked me down one time," Jude said quietly.

"Yes. Mama is Robert Quinn's sister — like you and me. Only Mama and Robert Quinn have the same daddy and different mommys."

"And we had the same mommy before she died and different daddys."

"Exactly. Technically, it makes Mama my aunt. But Mama and Mommy are going to adopt us very soon and that is all that matters. But remember, Jude, I will never not be your sister. Nothing can ever change that. I chose you because you are important to me. I will always protect you."

"Because Robert Quinn wanted to send me away and send you to boarding school," Jude said. He didn't know what boarding school was, but he did understand that it meant Callie would have been alone most of the time — and they would have never seen each other again. Callie had explained all of it to him a long time ago, and would occasionally explain it to him again so he would not forget that he was what mattered to her, even then.

"Robert Quinn was not a nice man. He was not my real daddy," Callie said.

"Then who is your real daddy?" That statement had confused Jude.

"Jude, you and I don't need a daddy. We have Mama and Mommy. And they are all we need now. They will always take care of us," Callie said, leaning over to hug her little brother. She knew he didn't understand it all, but he understood enough.

"So it doesn't matter that Mama is your aunt? She won't send you away or me away?" Jude asked.

Callie looked down at him and shook her head.

"Never, Bubba. Mama and Mommy love us more than anyone has since our first mommy died, I promise you. We are safe here. Safer than we ever have been."

That was good enough for the seven year old.

* * *

Callie walked into her room later that night and stared at Mariana, who was sitting on her bed reading a magazine. She didn't say anything, she just stared at her.

Mariana could feel the stares, but didn't look up. She still felt slightly bad for how she had reacted to the news that Callie was Mama's biological niece. To Mariana, though, it still hurt. She was the only daughter who wasn't related to Mama somehow. And that was really hard for her. No one seemed to understand how she felt.

"You can stop being an ass any day now," Callie said, just loud enough for Mariana to hear her, but not for anyone outside of their room to hear. That was the last thing she needed — Lena to hear her using bad words again.

Mariana looked over at the twelve year old.

"Better not get caught using such language — the moms wouldn't be pleased at all."

Callie shrugged. They wouldn't do anything but ground her or take her phone away. It would suck, but they would still not hit her for it. They would never go over the top with any punishment. She was slowly learning that, and it was starting to sink in.

"Mama and Mom wouldn't be happy to find out that you have your belly button pierced either. And you've had it pierced for months," Callie said, with a shrug to let Mariana know she could play the same games with her.

"Are you going to be a snitch and tell on me now?" Mariana asked. But the truth was, she knew Callie wouldn't tell on her. Callie never told on anyone about anything, really, and if she did it was an accident and she'd feel guilty about it for ages afterwards.

"No. You know, Jude took Mama being my aunt better than you and he is seven. You are being an ass about it. I didn't ask for Robert Quinn to be my biological father. You have no idea the kind of person he is. So why are you being an ass to me about it?" Callie asked, tears starting to cloud her vision.

"It's not like you would ever be able to understand, Callie. Everything is so easy for you, isn't it? You get here and the moms want to adopt you almost immediately. You are easier to adopt because of Robert Quinn. You are blood related to Mama. Nothing was easy about me and Jesus becoming part of this family. Nothing!" Mariana snapped at the younger girl.

"You're selfish," Callie whispered, looking down at her lap and refusing to look at Mariana. Why didn't Mariana see how much better she had had it than Callie and even Jude? Mariana was adopted when she was really young, even if the adoption had taken a while. It had still happened and they had lived with the moms for so long they didn't remember much else. They had lived here before they even started school.

Mariana let out a harsh laugh.

"I'm selfish? Are you fucking kidding me? I am selfish? Who didn't tell anyone about Jude and nearly got Jude and Jesus killed? Who didn't tell the moms about Robert Quinn? Who nearly got Mom killed when she ran out in the middle of a street? It sure as hell wasn't me!" Mariana yelled at her.

Tears were no longer just clouding Callie's vision, but also falling down her cheeks as well.

"None of that was done out of selfishness," Callie whispered. Because it was true. Callie didn't know what it was like to be selfish or to so anything for a selfish reason.

"Yea, right, Callie. All of it was selfish! You have been beyond selfish since you moved in here!"

Callie tried to take deep breathes, but it was hard, with every bit of air getting trapped in her chest. Mariana really had no idea what her life was like or had been like in the past. She did her best to never put herself first, to always make sure Jude came first. And because of that Jude was safe.

"I took good care of Jude," Callie said so quietly Mariana almost didn't hear her.

"Oh? Like you took care of him when you got kicked out of Liam's house? Jude told me all about Liam. Or how about when you destroyed your foster father's car and got sent to juvie? That was you protecting him? What the hell ever, Callie!" Mariana snapped. She only knew about these things through Jude's point of view, when he had told her why they had gotten kicked out of other homes. It always seemed to be Callie's fault.

Callie looked down at the floor this time, breathing in deeply before looking up at Mariana.

"I was selfish? Let me tell you how selfish I was, Mariana! At the Olmsteads — that is where Liam lived, he was their real son and was something like 23 years old or older — I was raped by him a lot because he threatened to hurt Jude if I didn't let him do what he wanted. Jude was barely six. So yes, if that is selfish, I was glad to be so Jude would always be safe! At Jim Pearsons home, I was selfish because I took a baseball bat to his car instead of letting him beat my little brother for putting on a dress— after he had hit me in the ribs so hard he cracked a couple of them! Robert Quinn wanted to send me to a boarding school and Jude away, and I refused to stay there if he didn't let Jude stay, too. Because Jude is my little brother and I will protect him at all costs. Jude knows nothing more than it was my fault we moved around so much, and that is okay! He doesn't need to understand what I did to protect him! What isn't okay, Mariana, is you being a colossal bitch and calling me selfish when I did what I had to do to! It is not my fault! None of it is my fault and I am tired of people blaming me for things I had no control over! Something I did to protect my baby brother! So fuck you, Mariana Adams Foster!"

"Young lady!"

Callie froze, her eyes widened when she heard Lena's voice — and she did one of the things she had learned to do best: she ran. Leaving behind Lena and Mariana — Mariana who had never felt like such a bitch in her entire life. What had she done? Why had she done it?

Jealousy. The fact hit her like a ton of bricks. Because she was jealous of a twelve year old kid.

But it was worse than that. Because Callie wasn't just a twelve year old kid. Callie was her sister.

And realizing that, Mariana ran after her sister, not bothering to say a word to Lena. She would fix this in her own way. Right now.

So, Mariana ran as fast as she could, simply so she could make this right with her little sister.


	30. We all fall down

Callie ran out of the house, onto the front porch, and then around the side of the house and into the backyard as quickly as she could. She wanted to run farther, but she also knew she would be in trouble this time if she did. She had run more than once since living with Stef and Lena, and she didn't want to get in trouble for doing it now just because Mariana decided to be an ass. Mariana didn't understand anything. At. All. But Callie knew after the last couple of times, actually running off was not an option. Besides, it was dark, and she didn't really like to be outside when it was dark. Not alone, anyways.

Callie ran to the tree that was outside of her and Mariana's bedroom window and climbed. She was quick. She knew exactly where to step, not because she had climbed this particular tree, but because she had climbed many in the past.

In a tree was safe. It gave her time to think. To get away from everyone. Most people wouldn't climb a tree after her, even if they could find her. She had had foster parents in the past call the fire department, but only twice, when they realized she was just going to keep climbing trees when she needed to think, when she knew Jude was safe. He was safe here. Here, she never had to worry about Jude. It was a completely new feeling to her, to not have to worry constantly about her little brother.

But, Mariana had had no right to call her selfish. Not at all.

Callie climbed up higher in the tree, trying her best not to think about Mariana or Stef or Lena or Jude. She didn't want to think about Jesus or Frankie or Robert Quinn or Sophia. She wanted to think about herself and whether or not she and Jude were ever going to truly be safe. But deep down, she knew the truth.

She shook her head as she climbed to the next branch, clearing her thoughts. She knew she was safe here. Jude was safe. Jude was happier than he had ever been. It was stupid to let Mariana's words make her think back to a time she was anything but safe.

Was she happy? She felt happy. But was she?

She didn't know. Because she didn't remember what being happy, truly happy, felt like.

"Callie?"

Callie's eyes narrowed. Mariana. She did not want to talk to Mariana right now. She wanted to be mad. Angry. Hurt. She was hurt and angry. She deserved the feelings she was feeling. She knew, deep down, it was okay that she was angry.

She finally reached as far into the tree as she could in the dark and made herself comfortable on the slim branches. She was higher than her room window and she could see Mariana, even though she knew Mariana could not see her through the leaves and branches..

"Mariana, what is going on?" Stef asked from the gate. She had followed the girls after hearing the chaos.

"Nothing, Mom!" Mariana snapped without thinking.

Callie rolled her eyes. Mariana was just making it worse for herself, and even Callie knew that.

"Mariana, where did Callie go?"

This time it was Lena.

"What do you mean where is Callie?" Stef asked, just as she was about to tell Mariana to watch her mouth.

"Can you two just leave this to me? I will find her. Good grief! You act like no one can do anything, ever! I will find her and bring her back in," Mariana snapped again.

Callie wiggled a little closer to the trunk of the tree, rustling the branches a little.

Stef, with her eagle eyes, caught the movement immediately, even if she couldn't tell exactly where Callie was in the tree.

"Mariana, I would watch your attitude if I were you. Why would Callie even be out here?" Stef asked, moving underneath the tree so she could find out exactly where her twelve year old was.

"Mom, seriously, this is between me and Callie! I will find her!"

"Maybe you should explain why she was yelling at you and vice versa not five minutes ago, and then why she ran out of the house," Lena said, her hands crossed over her chest as she stared her sixteen year old daughter down.

"I said I would find her! We got into an argument and she called me selfish! Then I called her selfish and it escalated, okay? Can you just leave me alone and let me find the little brat so I can tell her I am sorry?" Mariana yelled at her mothers.

"You wouldn't have to tell me you were sorry if you weren't being an ass! And stop calling me a brat. You don't know anything about me, Mariana!" Callie yelled at the older girl.

Mariana looked around. Where the heck was Callie?

Lena walked over to the tree and looked up.

"Young lady, I am not going to tell you again, watch your language. Now get down out of that tree before you hurt yourself," Lena said, though she was gentle with her words. It had been a long week already, and it was barely started.

"No! Not until Mariana leaves! It is not my fault she is a selfish ass! It is not my fault she doesn't know anything about me other than what Jude tells her about things because it isn't any of her business and she doesn't think to just ask me instead of accusing me of shit! It isn't my fault she just doesn't want me to talk about her stupid belly button piercing! It wasn't my fault that she is an idiot and doesn't think about what she says to people!" Callie screamed, not even thinking about what she was saying.

Mariana stared up into the tree.

"Damnit, Callie! You said you wouldn't snitch on me!" Mariana yelled up to the tree where she thought Callie was, but never did see her, no matter how much she looked through the tree for her.

Stef and Lena looked at one another. Mariana had her belly button pierced? How in the hell had they missed that?

Callie stared down at Mariana and mentally kicked herself, though. She hadn't meant to say that. Not at all. But right now she was too worked up to really care.

"Callie, love, I really need you to carefully come down, okay?" Stef said, watching the 12 year old closely. She could tell Callie was getting worked up and being twenty or more feet in the air was not the ideal place for that to happen.

"Make Mariana leave and I will think about coming down! I am not coming down if she is down there!" Callie yelled back, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. She knew she was going to be in trouble and it wasn't fair. Mariana had said horrible things to her. Mariana had made all this happen and it was her fault!

Callie climbed down a few feet, but was still hidden. The only one who could see her was Stef, and she was okay with that. She didn't want anyone else to see her right now.

"Callie, you are being such a brat!" Mariana screamed, frustrated that this had gotten so out of control. She was really trying to be calm, but the younger girl was really pushing her feelings right now.

"Mariana, come here. Now," Lena said, wanting to deescalate the entire situation before the neighbors called the police.

"Mariana, you are being a colossal bitch! Why don't you listen to the moms for once in your life? You did this! You said I was selfish! You said I got me and Jude kicked out of all our other foster homes! You are a bitch because I am not selfish! I did a good job by Jude! So fuck you!" Callie screamed as she started to climb further down the tree.

Several things happened at once then. Lena walked over to Mariana, shocked at what she had just heard Callie say — and for once didn't think a single thing about either girls' language at the moment. She knew she needed to separate Callie and Mariana to get them both calmed down. She needed to talk to Mariana and find out what possessed her to say something like that to Callie — to her little sister who she knew, without a doubt, had had a hard time before coming to live with them.

Stef looked at Mariana and then up at Callie and noticed she was coming down the tree faster than she could manage, finally hitting a branch that was thin enough to snap, causing the child to lose her grip and fall the last five or six feet to the ground. Stef, while fast, was not fast enough to catch Callie when she fell, Stef knew immediately that she would not come from this without being hurt.

Callie crumbled to the ground, the breath knocked out of her. But she quickly stood up, despite being light headed, and looked at Stef.

"I am good," Callie said quietly, before she passed out.

Luckily, Stef was close enough this time to catch her, keeping her from causing more damage than she already had — because it was apparent to Stef and Lena both that Callie had broken her wrist by the odd angle it was in.

After Mariana leaned over and threw up, mostly on Lena, it was apparent to the mothers that Mariana also knew Callie had a broken bone.

It was going to be a much, much longer night than they had thought.


	31. A trip to the ER

To say Callie was mad would be an understatement. She was furious. She wanted to yell at Mariana, who was puking on Mama, because this was her fault. She just couldn't keep her mouth shut. She couldn't ever accept not knowing every single thing going on because she was nosy. Callie would never have had to climb up the tree had Mariana just left her alone. She never would have had to run to the back yard, though, had the moms not told her she wasn't allowed to run away. Why'd she even listen to them? And now she was hurt! All because Mariana was nosy!

The pain in her wrist was strong, but after waking up from passing out, she was quiet. It was manageable. She had had worse. She felt nauseous, but she wouldn't throw up. She knew this was going to be a trip to the emergency room, and she was pissed about that. It was completely Mariana's fault. Stupid sisters. Since moving in with the Adams Fosters and being told she and Jude were going to be adopted, she'd quickly learned sisters were harder to deal with than brothers.

"Oh, Callie, sweets, we need to go get that checked out," Stef said, holding onto her 12 year old, trying to keep her steady.

Callie rolled her eyed as she swallowed the nausea in her throat down. No shit.

"No ma'am," Lena said from across the yard as she was turning Mariana toward the door so she get her in the house.

Crap. She must have said that out loud.

"Yes, sweets, you did. Come on, Love, lets get you to the ER," Stef said, guiding Callie toward the back door. It wasn't long, however, before she realized Callie wasn't going to be able to walk and, for once, was glad she was so tiny. Stef bent down and picked her up, placing her on her hip. Callie immediately wrapped her legs around Stef's waist and laid her head down on her shoulder, cradling her arm again her.

Lena, who had sprung into action quickly, already had Mariana sitting at the kitchen table sipping on a glass of ice water, had pulled her vomit covered shirt off to reveal her tank top underneath it, which was, thankfully, still clean, and and was calling Jesus downstairs while grabbing a light jacket to put her over tank top.

Jesus was there in seconds. He had heard the chaos, but knew better than to get involved.

"Yea, Mama?" he asked, coming to a stop in front of her before looking at Stef and Callie.

"Oh crap! Cals, your arm looks like my ankle did the time I broke it skateboarding!" Jesus said, going over to her and putting a hand on her back.

"You okay, Cals?" Jesus asked.

"Yea, I am okay. I have had worse. This isn't too bad."

Stef and Lena winced. Of course she'd had worse. And they hated that she had.

"You're a tough cookie, munchkin. Me and you are a lot alike! No worries, moms will take care of you," Jesus said softly.

Callie had been right earlier. Brothers were way better than sisters.

"Jesus, Mom and I are going to take Callie to the ER. We need you to watch everyone …"

"I do not need a babysitter!" Mariana hissed from the table. She was still pale.

"Including your very grounded sister over there. She nearly passed out outside like she did when you broke your ankle," Lena explained, knowing Jesus would know he'd have to make sure she was okay and that usually after half an hour, Mariana would be okay again. "Frankie and Jude need to be in bed within the next hour. If that involves the tent you made them last night, that's great. As long as they are asleep. Please fix them a snack if they want one. Milk only to drink."

"I've got it, Mama. No worries," Jesus said, and then leaned over and gave his mother a hug, trying to ease her worries.

And, whether he knew it or not, it definitely did ease them.

* * *

Lena was sitting on a hospital bed that was upright, Callie between her legs, leaning against her chest. Her eyes were closed and she was pretty chill after receiving some pain meds from the ER doctor, who had said she was surprised Callie was so calm because she could tell the break was a pretty bad one. She also had a bag of ice on her arm, which was helping dull the pain as well. They were waiting now to see if it could be set or would need surgery.

Stef and Lena, though they had not said it aloud, were both surprised Callie was remaining so calm about being hurt and in the hospital. They had expected her to, at the very least, be nervous. She was relaxed, though, and the pain meds were starting to work.

"Okay, moms, we are ready to take Miss Callie down for an X-ray. I am afraid only one of you can go down with her, as there is not much room," a nurse said as she came in the room with Callie's chart and a wheelchair. "My name is Jackie."

"Mama," Callie said quietly, never even opening her eyes to look at nurse Jackie.

Stef nodded with a smile. She knew Mama trumped Mom right now, and she was definitely okay with that.

Callie had hung onto Stef's neck until the mother had put her in the backseat of the car at the house. Stef had not even said a word before Lena was in the backseat with their daughter, wrapping an ace bandage around Callie's thin frame and arm to mobilize it so it didn't move. She'd then buckled Callie in and held her close to her. Callie didn't even cry. She hadn't cried. At all.

The nurse nodded and pulled the chair up close to her.

"Okay Mama, why don't you let Mom take Callie and you sit in the wheelchair and then Callie can sit on your lap, How does that sound?" Jackie asked. Thankfully, Jackie had dealt with children before, and had two girls of her own. Personally, her girls would have wanted their father. But having a parent always helped.

Stef stood up and gently picked Callie up, who put her free arm around Stef's neck and dug her face into the side of it, breathing in the deep scent of her mother.

"I still get to go home tonight, right, Mom?" Callie whispered.

Stef looked down at her and took a few steps back so she was away from the nurse — so Callie would feel like it was just the two of them for a moment.

"Love Bug, I think it depends on what the X-rays say, okay? But you know Mama and I will not leave you here alone, right?"

Callie shrugged. She didn't mind being in the hospital. She knew Jesus was taking care of Jude. This wasn't her first rodeo in the hospital.

"If you have to stay here, both Mama and I will stay with you, okay?" Stef said, rubbing her back, but being careful of her arm.

"You can't. What about the others? Jesus, Jude, Frankie? And I guess Mariana," Callie said quietly.

"Grandma can come stay with them if need be, but right now Jesus has everything under control. While you and Mama are gone getting your arm looked at, I will call Jesus and make sure everything is okay. Will that make you feel better?"

Callie nodded. She was starting to get really tired and barely acknowledged being moved into Lena's lap.

Stef leaned down and kissed Callie's head right before she fell asleep against her mama.

* * *

It was three in the morning before the trio got home, with Callie sporting a green and blue striped cast due to a distal radius fracture in her wrist. She was also in a sling, which she said had originally refused to wear because of the way it felt against her skin. Nurse Jackie had told her she would fix that in a jiffy, going somewhere and coming back with several blankets for the babies born in the hospital and strategically placing them around the sling so Callie didn't have to feel the sling. Lena had promised she would fix it permanently the next day. That had made Callie much happier — or as happy as she could be with a broken wrist.

She wasn't to go to school until at least Wednesday and had to have it x-rayed again in two weeks to make sure it was a healing correctly.

They pulled into the driveway and Lena unbuckled herself and then Callie before picking the sleeping child up out of the car, following Stef into the house.

"Let me take her, love. I will put her in our room. I know you want to check on the rest of the children," Stef said.

Lena nodded and handed Callie over gently to Stef. Thankfully they had given her more pain medication before they left the ER since they would have to wait to pick up Callie's prescriptions.

Stef climbed up the stairs and went into their room. She laid Callie on the bed and went into the bathroom to grab a shirt off the top of the dryer. It was one of her own shirts, a San Francisco PD shirt Callie liked to wear. She went back to Callie to find her sitting up, though throughly drugged.

"Thanks, Mommy," Callie whispered.

Stef gently took off the sling and then lifted her shirt over her arm and head before moving to her casted arm. The cast was extremely bright. When the nurse had asked her if she'd wanted pink, Callie had stared at her and said, "Are you fucking kidding me? I do not want pink anything!"

Lena had shushed her quickly, though her heart wasn't in it because she knew Callie was too far gone to even know what she was saying. Lena had apologized to Jackie rather quickly, though.

Stef had been able to tell the the nurse had heard and probably said way worse.

"What for, love bug?" Stef asked, working the shirt over her head.

"You didn't leave me at the hospital. I used to like being in the hospital because it was safe and I got to eat, but I worried about Jude the entire time if he wasn't there with me. But today, I didn't want to stay there. I wanted to come home with you and Mama."

Stef worked the sling back over her kid's head and carefully on her arm, wrapping the straps around as they needed to be. She leaned down and kissed Callie's head.

"You're not going anywhere, Bug. You mine. You are Mama's. You belong here forever and ever."

"I know," Callie said, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

Stef kissed her head again moved her to the center of the bed, covering her up lovingly, before starting to get ready for bed herself. It had been a long night, but honestly, she wouldn't change her hectic life for anything.


End file.
